


Opacre

by opacre



Series: Carus Qye Opacre [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, Bonding, Childhood Friends, Harm to Children, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Memory Alteration, Mild Language, Slow Build, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-26 00:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 46,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4982098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opacre/pseuds/opacre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter had no friends until Hogwarts, or so he thought.  Darkness engulfs Harry at age five but not evil.  This is the past and of a secret Harry held close without knowing it.</p><p>[Written more than a decade ago.  Uploading for completed series.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lest Opacre

                “STAY RIGHT THERE!!!”

                Vernon Dursley, a man of middle age, fat, mustache and clearly disgusted with something, yelled at a small boy with messy black hair.  Trembling, the boy nodded and tried to make himself comfortable on the park bench while his uncle went to his wife, Petunia Dursley, and son, Dudley Dursley.  Petunia was as skinny as a pole, dirty blond hair and a long neck while her fat son was double the size of his mother and father combined.  The smirking family went to the park zoo and left the five-year-old alone on the bench.

                Sighing unhappily, Harry Potter tugged his cousin’s old clothes closer together to warm up.  It was six-o-clock on July 31 and the weather reflected his melancholy.  Dark and dreary, thick, gray clouds rolled overhead and promised a nice rainfall...for those with proper clothes and safety from rain.  Harry had neither.

                ‘It would be my luck for it to rain on my birthday while I am stuck out here, on a park bench, with no cover, and loose clothes,’ Harry thought irritably, trying to find a way to bundle himself up to keep warm and preventing his clothes from getting too wet should the rain decide to grace Harry with its presence earlier.

                ‘I suppose I could always duck for cover if it rains and come back out when Uncle Vernon comes into sight,’ Harry thought.  A drop of water splattered onto Harry’s banged up glasses, quickly followed by another.  Before Harry could run for cover, the rain tumbled down quickly, and soon, every inch of Harry was drenched.

                ‘Bugger.’

                Shivering, the five-year-old ran to a nearby oak tree and sought shelter in its branches.

                ‘I don’t care if Uncle Vernon yells and screams and hits me, there is no way that I am going to catch a cold,’ Harry thought grimly while trying to get the water out of his clothes.  As soon as much of the water could be drained, he settled back into the branches and watched the rainfall down through the leaves.

                ‘How long did they say they were going to stay?  Until five, I think.  The rain I hope should end by then and I can go back to sitting back at the bench and Uncle Vernon won’t know the difference.  Heh, I’m going to be dry and they won’t be able to find a reason to punish me…’

                Harry’s wonderful idea of being dry was quickly soaked…literally.  A branch had suffered enough pounding of the rain and submitted to the onslaught, causing a funnel of water cascading onto Harry.  For a minute, Harry didn’t move, letting the water drench him.

                “…I really have to learn when to shut up about my small good fortunes…” Harry sighed and moved out of the way of the falling water, climbing higher up into the tree.  As soon as he was sure that he was safe from any more wicked water, he again began to rinse out the water in his clothes.

                “Why me?” Harry grumbled when he saw that there was no way of being properly dry anymore.

                “Why anyone?” an amused voice called out from above him.

                Startled, little Harry looked up…and squeaked when a person dropped down from a clump of branches and leaves above into the branch right next to him.

                Blinking, Harry stared at the blond-haired boy settling himself in his new branch.  Pale skin, dark blue eyes, dirty blond hair, looked to be about ten, athletic figure.  Harry categorized all this in one glance.  Being considered lower then a worm allowed him to observe people and being taught to not meet anyone’s eyes, he had to look at a person in just one glance.

                The boy looked back at Harry after settling into a comfortable position.  “Why anyone?” the boy repeated, amusement hidden in his voice.  “Why should poor cats be chased by the big bad dogs? Why should dogs be reprimanded by the masters because dogs do what comes naturally? Why must women suffer childbirth and men pleasure?  Why do you people have diseases? Why do you people get sick, die at young ages? Why does God let good people die?  Why must the meek inherit the Earth and why must the smart be poor? Why, why, why?”

                “…Excuse me?”

                Rolling his eyes, the boy continued.  “You people amuse me.  You get a bit of misfortune and instantly grumble about the unfairness of it all, ignoring all the good that has come to you.  You think the world’s against you, purposely seeking you out to harm you in every way possible, always giving you the short end of the stick.  Very funny.”

                “I’m sorry but I just do not see the humor in me being soaking wet and in danger of getting sick,” Harry said stiffly.

                There the boy was, in neat and dry clothes, all warm and probably well-fed, living most likely with a wonderful family while here he was, an orphan in soaking clothes with a family who…

                Harry blinked.  Wait a minute… ** _dry clothes?!?_**

                Before Harry could open his mouth and comment on the boy’s lack of being wet, the boy continued.

                "Oh, but I do,” the boy replied smugly.  “There you are, with clothes on your back, and a home to go to, which you do have, I saw you drive up with your family.  You have clothes, no matter that they’re wet because other children in the world have none and have to survive heat and cold with no shelter.  And even though you’re a bit skinny, you are not underfed, meaning you get food while others do not.

                “So while you moan and grumble about the cruelty and unfairness of it all, other people are suffering much worse then you.  Do you see my amusement now?”

                “No, I can not, seeing as how you laugh at other people’s misfortunes,” Harry shot back sharply.  “You there, with your dry clothes - which makes me uneasy because it would be impossible to not get wet in this weather - are living a content life while other people are in pain.  You’re most likely an upper-class kid who probably just laughs at our misfortunes, thinking that none of our problems can compare to yours, seeing as how you are holier-than-thou!”

                The boy stared with no expression.

                “Well, well, well.  It seems that Marylin was correct…” the boy mused softly.

                Harry blinked.

                “I beg your pardon?”

                The boy smiled.  “Polite, intelligent, observing, not that naïve, and cute.  Did you know that when you grow up, those attributes could help you much?”

                Harry squirmed.  He really did not like the way that boy was staring at him…all amusement was gone and the only emotion left was consideration.

                “I’m not intelligent and I’m not naïve,” Harry said flatly.

                “Not intelligent? Then how do you know words like uneasy, misfortune, upper-class, fortune, and humor? How can you understand the words that come from me when I speak at the level of fifth year?  How do you understand the concepts that I say, when I know that no ordinary five-year-old can understand the meaning, both literal and otherwise, of misfortune?”

                ‘That’s it, I have had enough.’  Resolved, Harry decided that sitting on a wet park bench with no protection from the rain was more comfortable than talking to this boy.

                 He reached out for a branch to climb down from but before he could grab it, a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.  Yelping, Harry jerked back and stared fearfully at the strange boy.  There was an odd gleam in his eyes.

                “What do you want from me?  Why?” Harry whimpered, trying to get as far back from the boy.

                “Again with the whys.  Do you not know that why’s can never be answered?  You may give an essay on one question but give the same question to another person and you have different answers.  Which is right?  Neither but neither is wrong.  The questioner will have a different answer and the person above him too.  Always a different answer.”

                “What do you want from me?”

                “What makes you think I want anything from you?

                “You know so much about me, and you make it sound like you’ve been observing me for a really long time.  So I believe there has to be a reason.”

                “Smart.  Nice reasoning too, but no, I have not been observing you any longer than the moment you climbed up this tree.”

                “Then how do you know so much about me?”

                “Merely by observing you while I talked.  All your reactions and the way you talk tell everything, even though we have only been in each other’s company for a brief time.  I presume you know me as well, merely by what I say and my actions.”

                “Well, why did you strike up this conversation? You must have wanted something…” Harry said, still uneasy about their talk.

                “I was bored and your question was a way to past the time.  And my, my, you ARE intelligent.”

                “Am not.”

                “Are too.”

                “Am not.”

                “Are too.”

                “Am not, am not, am not.”

                “Are too, are too, are too.”

                “Am not, am not, am not, am not times infinity.”

                “Well, you just proved it.”

                “Eh?”

                “Even though you are a bit intelligent, you still have a mind of a five-year-old.  We’re going to have to work on that.”

                “What?  What are you talking about NOW?  This is the only time I’m going to see you, if I have my way.”

                “Who says you are going to have your way?  I thought we established that life was unfair and cruel.”

                “How in the world are you going to find me again?  There is less than one in a million chance that we shall see each other again.”  Harry was annoyed.  Who was this boy?         

                The boy interrupted Harry’s train of thought.  “I have not introduced myself, have I?  Lest Opacre, age ten.  And we _will_ see each other again.  You are too rare for me to let you go easily.”

                “What am I, a piece of jewelry?  Who are you to say that you will not let me go?”  As much as this boy irritated Harry, he was also fascinated by the way he spoke.  His voice carried a quiet authority, assurance, ease.  And he did not demean Harry, thinking that he was stupid by the way he dressed.  As long as he did not continue to act like an upper-class snob, perhaps it would be nice to chat with him occasionally.  But Harry was NOT a thing to be considered as property.

                “What?  Now where did that politeness go?”  Lest was amused again.  “I have given you my name and you will not allow me the luxury of yours?   And, please, take no offense of how I sounded.  I am merely saying that you are too unique for me to quit talking with you.”

                “What was that you were saying about life not being fair?”  ‘Might as well use some wit to bring him down that pedestal of egoism he is on.’

                “Touché.  But I think that you will find that saying doubling back on you.”  Lest pointed downward, towards the bench Harry had previously occupied.  “Is that not your family?”

                Blood draining from his face, Harry noticed his uncle’s deadly expression.  Apparently it was raining so hard that the zoo had to close, causing the Dursleys to leave early…and finding out that Harry had moved.

                Quick as lightning, Harry shot up and started to climb down.  He paused, and then turned back to Lest.

                “Harry Potter.”

                “A pleasure to meet you, Harry.  I will see you soon.”

                Lest smiled.

                And five-year-old Harry finally noticed Lest’s teeth.

                Face paling faster, Harry jumped off the branches, landed softly on his feet on the muddy ground and ran furiously towards his uncle, Lest’s laughter echoing softly behind him.

                Five-year-old Harry Potter had noticed Lest Opacre’s rather long canine teeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I originally started this story back in 2002 on Fanfiction.net. I am uploading it here just in case FFN.net finally decides to bid adieu. (Yes, I am aware I am very late to the game and no, I am not that well-versed in AO3 yet but I'm learning. Apologies for errors all around.)
> 
> And just in case any of my original readers are narrowing their eyes, yes, this is Shades, going by opacre now and have been for some time. Uh....hi? Long time no see? *cough*
> 
> For all you new readers...um...How on earth did you stumble across this?
> 
> Well, if you're still interested in the story - though I don't blame you if you're wincing at the writing, I did as I reposted this - please feel free to follow along. There is a sequel "Qye", which is the next in this series, and easy to jump into if you want to skip this. It is better written.
> 
> (Lest) Comparatively.
> 
> ...oh no. They're back.
> 
> (Qye) Well, where's the lie? We've been in limbo, what, seven years? I think we've earned a few remarks.
> 
> ...*bashes head against wall*


	2. Truths and Agreements

Harry Potter was scared.  No, make that _terrified._

There he was, a little five-year-old, shorter than the average height of one his age, living in the cupboard underneath the stairs.  Not to mention the fact that he was holding a thin log in both his hands.

                Most people, looking at him, would have thought him so cute, thinking that he was trying to act tough and strong.  One look in his eyes diminished those ideas though.  Those bright green eyes, barely visible under the tuft of black hair, were wide and fearful in his skinny pale face.

                ‘Oh mommy, daddy, I know you’re dead but maybe this is a good time to send my guardian angel or anything for me right now, please?  This boy is going to suck my blood and lick his lips and become a bat and have red eyes and look at me hungrily and chew my neck and slobber and eat my flesh and turn me into something like him and oh god!  Did that door creak?  Is he here?’

                Harry was an intelligent little boy, just not at the moment because panic had caused his five-year-old side to take over.  Many people did not think he was smart because he was dressed terribly and always quiet, not to mention that his legal guardians did not think him higher than the scum on their best shoes.  But he was smart.  When his Uncle or Aunt were busy with something else, like fawning over Dudley, he would quickly grab a book from the library and hide it in his enormous clothes, waiting to read it later in his cupboard.

                He had quickly taught himself to read from the age of three.  There were some benefits from being totally denied a childhood, Harry supposed, because there was a larger time dedicated to studies.  Harry didn’t understand how he could learn so quickly but that happened.  Once he saw the meaning of a word, he could find it anywhere and read it.  He once went up to his cousin’s second bedroom and stole his ABC dictionary.  That children’s dictionary helped him figure out words.  It was hidden in a secret compartment in his cupboard.  Maybe his Aunt didn’t know but there was this small place that opened if you slid the panel.  Harry hid all his valuable books there, and since the Dursleys were not people who appreciated the arts, Harry would never get in trouble.

                Unfortunately, the first book that Harry had read, meaning the first book with big words like amusement and misfortune, was Interview With A Vampire, by Anne Rice.  

Which meant that Harry was cursing himself with every breath.

                “Idiot.  Git.  Jerk.  Dummy.  Moron.  Simpleton.  Fool.  You jinxed yourself, cursing your life with a vampire, by reading that book.  Idiot…” Harry had also read some other colorful books from his family’s small library.  To Kill A Mockingbird and Catcher In the Rye expanded his coarse vocabulary rather largely.

                Of course, he never said them in front of people.  But since he was alone…

                “My, my, a rather vulgar tongue from one who was so polite earlier on…” an amused voice floated through Harry’s little door.

                Harry proceeded to show off his knowledge of curses.

                “I am afraid I will have to look up some of those words.”

‘Wonderful Harry, why do you not just scream at the top of your voice and bring the Dursleys down as well,’ Harry thought sarcastically as he tightened his grip on the log.

                “Go away!” Harry whispered fiercely, backing away from the door.

                “Hmm…no.  Now open the door and let me in.  I would rather not face that family of yours yet.  And I would rather talk to you without an obstacle between is.”

                “You honestly expect me to open the door for you?  And what do you not understand about go away?”

                “The ‘go away.’  Usually, people would love to have my presence nearby.  And, yes, I would like you to open the door.  I am not going to bite or hurt you.”

                “Oh, well that changes everything.  How could I have been so stupid to suspect that you would hurt poor, defenseless me,” Harry said sarcastically.  “Honestly, you expect me to believe you?  As for the go away part…go means to leave and away means not anywhere near this place.  Leave to anywhere not here.”

“What have I done to give you the presumption that I am going to hurt you?  If I remember quite well, earlier today we were having a rather pleasant conversation.”

“You’re a vampire!  For all I know, you are probably deciding on how to eat me the best!  And that discussion was nowhere NEAR pleasant.  All I remember you doing was bad-mouthing us who have our woes and how you find that humorous.”

“I was not…Oh for gods’ sake!”

Harry’s door was suddenly yanked open and Lest came through.  Harry squeaked and scurried as far back as the cupboard allowed him.  Too late, as Lest closed the door behind him and locked it, Harry realized his mistake.

‘YOU IDIOT!  You just backed yourself into a corner with no escape inside a cupboard with a VAMPIRE!  Why don’t you just clean your neck and offer it on a golden platter!?!’ Harry thought angrily, as Lest sat down and made himself comfortable.

“There now.  No obstacles,” Lest said pleasantly.  Then he noticed Harry’s condition.  “What on Earth happened to you?” Lest asked, startled.

Harry defensively curled himself up.  His uncle had not been pleased to find that Harry had moved.

Harry had a split lip, black eye, and a number of other bruises hidden by his loose clothes.  For some reason, Uncle Vernon had been more lenient and Harry had not suffered as much from before.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing, my fangs,” Lest said sharply.  “You have been hurt and I know that those were not there before.”

“It’s nothing so leave me alone!”

Lest pursed his lips and continued to look at Harry.  Harry was uncomfortable and tried to find something that would distract the boy from his injuries.

Harry realized that he still had the log in his hands.  He quickly put it between himself and the vampire, the sharpest end pointing to the boy.  Lest leaned back slightly and looked at the twig.  Harry was relieved to see that the made-up stake had distracted the boy from his hurts.

“You’re going to poke me with that if you do not put it down,” Lest said irritably.  He appeared mildly unconcerned about the crudely made stake but still considered it worthy for his attention.

“That would be the intention,” Harry said grimly.  “And you’re not allowed to do that.”

“Not allowed to do what?”

“Enter a house without somebody inviting you.  It’s against the rules.”

“What rules?”

“The rules about vampires.  You’re not allowed to enter a house without permission.  You’re not allowed to walk in sunlight or else you would burn to a crisp.  You cannot eat or be near garlic or crosses.  You drink blood from humans.  Holy water burns you and stakes through the heart can kill you.”

“Stakes through the heart would kill anyone and some people do not like garlic.  Does that make them vampires?  No.  And why are these rules true?”  Lest was amused again, annoying Harry.

“Because they said so.”

“Who?”

“The people who study vampires.  Experts.  And they all say the same so it has to be true.”

“You’re going to take the word of some fictional authors?  People who probably never seen vampires?  Do you not think that maybe one author wrote these rules in a fictional story and these ‘experts’ may have just picked them up and slapped them down on paper, made a book, and said they were real?  Are you going to base your life on what other people say, not finding out first-hand?”

Harry shifted uncomfortably.  Being scrunched up against the wall was very unpleasant.  “Are they lying?” Harry asked defiantly.

“With some things, yes.  I believe that the author coming closest to being accurate about us was Anne Rice.”  ‘Damn, I jinxed myself by reading that book,’ Harry thought.  “Others, though, are completely wrong.  Some portray us as bad guys and I think that’s a bit unfair.”

“Aren’t some of you bad though?”

“Well, of course.”  Lest seemed surprised.  “But, then again, aren’t some humans bad as well?  You can not judge an entire group of people based on what a few people of that group did, are you?”

“Well, no but…”

“But nothing,” Lest interrupted.  “Just because vampires are not humans does not make us any less of a being.  Some vampires are evil, just like humans.  But not all.  Are you going to hold that against vampires who are innocent?”

“How am I supposed to know if you’re innocent?  For all I know, you could be laying down a false trap for me, luring me to security.  Then you could swoop down on me and bite my neck.”

“Oh, come on.  I thought you were more sensible than this,” Lest said, irritated.  “If I had wanted to, I could have bitten you and had my meal up in the tree.  But I didn’t do that because I found you to be rather interesting.  Would you prefer me to bite you?”

“NO!”

“Then stop assuming.  I am merely trying to become an acquaintance, trying to find someone who shares my line of thought.”

“A friend?”

“Friend?”  Lest looked baffled.  “Have you not been listening to a word I have said?  I just want someone to talk to who does not scrape and bow and can argue with me.  Not to mention disagrees with me and shows their annoyance.”

“If you want someone to bug, go bug my cousin and leave me alone!” Harry replied scathingly.

“Quite a viper’s tooth, are you not?  And, no, I will not bug your cousin because he is inferior to my stunning intelligence.  So, you are stuck with me until I get bored with you,” Lest smugly said.

“Bloody…just try and bite me and you will find this ‘twig’ shoved up your arse.”

Lest raised an eyebrow.  “Another thing we will have to work on, besides ridding you of that five-year-old mind.  And for the last time, I am not going to bite you.”

“You’re not doing anything.  Go away.”

Lest rolled his eyes.  “ Quite demanding are you not?  Do you not know that by telling someone not to do something, they are going to do it?  Human nature is to rebel and though I am not human, I share qualities.”

“What do you want from me?  Why me?”

Lest visibly brightened.  “Oh, are we back to that?  I do not want anything from you, Harry.  I just wish to talk and argue with someone and you are merely convenient.  And I thought we agreed that there was no why me’s.”

“We agreed to nothing,” Harry countered.  “There are why me’s, just no answers.  And as for convenience…you really know how to put someone down.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind.”  Harry sighed.  “If you just want to talk, go ahead, but be aware that if you decide to see if my blood is red, we will see if that stake myth is right.”

“Knew you would see my way.”  Lest stood up and stretched.  “Well, I best be off before the seekers are sent out.”

“Wait, I thought you wished to talk?”  ‘IDIOT!  He’s leaving and you WANT him to stay!?!'

“Wish me to stay?  Sorry but I have something to attend to.”  Lest grimaced.  “A joyous occasion for one group can be a mournful one for another,” Lest said softly.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know innuendos?”  At Harry’s nod, Lest continued.  “That could be one.  This meeting is happy for me because I have met a person that does not revere me while you are saddened that you have a deadly danger placed near you.  Of course, it could also mean my birthday.”  Harry wore a face of confusion.

“My birthday is today,” Lest explained.  Shock.  “What?”

“Um…this will sound corny and very stupid but my birthday was also today.”  Lest’s eyebrows rose.

“Really?” Lest mused.  “Well, a peculiar occurrence.  No matter, after this is resolved I will come back to talk with you again.”  At that, Lest unlocked the door and stepped out.

“A bit arrogant, are you not?”  Harry’s statement stopped Lest in his tracks.  The vampire slowly turned around and Harry gulped.

“I beg your pardon?”

‘Nice going Harry, insult the vampire who can kill you instantly.’

“I said, a bit arrogant, are you not?  You talk like everything will wait hand and foot for you and that everything will be the same as you left it.  You expect everything to follow your commands.”

Lest stared at Harry expressionlessly. 

Finally, Lest replied.  “ I merely say what I say.  I say truth and I say requests.  I say expectations.  Arrogance…one cannot define it Harry.  What one views as arrogance may be another person’s view of life.

“It all depends on how a person was raised.  You were raised differently from me and vice-versa.”  For a second, Lest’s eyes flickered to Harry’s wounds again.  “We can talk about this next time but I have to leave.”  Lest inclined his head briefly and then turned and left.

Harry was confused.  What did arrogance have to do with how a person was raised?

And when was next time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *reading this 13 years later* ...Nope, you are just an arrogant brat, Lest.
> 
> (Lest) You wrote me.
> 
> Touche.


	3. Emotions

                Next time turned out to be two weeks later.  And those two weeks were full of some emotion, whether it be anxiety, fear, or curiosity.

                Harry was so anxious about Lest’s return that he managed to break two plates and four cups in that two week span.  Unfortunately for him, two of those cups were made of china and one of the plates had been a family heirloom.  Needless to say, Harry suffered worst beatings than before.

                While Harry was in his cupboard, nursing his new injuries, the fear haunted him in the dark, like a leech, drawing out all the bravery and courage he had to face the vampire.  Fear that the vampire would come again.  Fear that the vampire would never leave him alone.  Fear that he would be drunk dry by the soulless being of the night.  Fear that he would become one of the damned.  Fear that this being would kill his family…

                …Okay, maybe that wasn’t so much as a fear as it was a wish.  But he believed that the vampire would only suck up fat instead of blood.  Maybe that way, he could get rid of two birds with one stone.

                As for curiosity…well, who would not be curious?  How often was it that you met the creatures found only in fairy tales and books?  And Lest had said that some books had been wrong about vampires.  That not all vampires were these evil demented people whose sole reason for living was drinking blood, living in a castle, taking a beautiful young woman as a wife, and trying to take over the world.

                …Well, Harry had read Interview with A Vampire and he was not a naïve little five-year-old.  The vampire had to give him a little credit. 

                ‘I mean, honestly, does he expect me to take his word on it when I have never met another vampire?’ Harry thought irritably as he tore an old shirt of his into bandages to put on his cuts.  ‘How am I supposed to just cast aside all these rumors and facts that I have learned?  It’s easy to learn but it is harder to forget.’

                So those two weeks were spent worrying and looking over his shoulder for a shadow of a ten-year-old vampire.  And every night, he would make sure that the thin log from the first night was as sharp as it could possibly be.

                ‘Hey,’ Harry thought defensively as he tested the point, ‘he can not expect me to immediately trust him and not have at least some protection with me, right?’

                How was he supposed to trust a vampire?  Why was he even talking to one?  Why had he agreed to talk?  Why had he just not driven the stake through the thing’s heart and swept out the ashes?  That would have saved him a lot of sleepless nights and some plates.

                Had the vampire used some sort of hypnotism on him?  Had he tricked Harry into trusting him, even for a little?  Or had it been something else?  Had Harry’s childlike mind behaved on instinct and made him trust the boy?

                ‘I am only five and I worrying like a seventy-year-old!’

                Maybe because Lest looked like a child, Harry had accepted to chat with him?  Was that it?  Was how Lest looked the reason that Harry had allowed himself to socialize with the vampire?  But why?  What was it about youth that allowed people to trust the young?

                ‘Is it because we are so young that people think we cannot think of deception?  That we have no idea of deceit or distrust?  Is that why?  Do people trust kids because of the fact that we are so young that we do not know of the wickedness of the world?  Is that it? Or is it something else?’

                Harry did not know.  Harry wanted to know.  But whom was he going to share his opinions with?  Aunt Petunia?  She would remind him to not ask questions and to keep doing his chores.  Uncle Vernon?  He would beat him to a pulp because he dared to talk and then another for thinking.  Dudley?  The mere idea was laughable.  The thought of seeing Dudley while Harry said his theories was enough to send him into hysterics.  Which caused another beating.  What was it about the youth that allowed a person to trust someone who looked so young?

                So who was left?  He had no friends, no family.  He was not allowed to go out of the house for any reason.  No neighbors cared about his well-being or they would have responded to his calls of distress when he was younger.  He learned quickly that no one responded to calls of help.  ‘If you want help,’ Harry thought darkly, ‘you have to yell fire.’  People were naturally selfish.  If they heard help, they would have to interfere in something and would most likely receive nothing.

                But with fire…everyone responded.  The selfish side of a person came to surface.  Fire meant that the person was also in trouble.  The yell of fire made a person believe that they were in trouble, allowing help in one way or another.        

                He couldn’t lie, though, no matter how much he needed to.  He couldn’t hurt, no matter how much he wanted to.  He couldn’t do anything to help himself, no matter if he had to.  Nature gave him these weaknesses, which in themselves were strengths.  Unable to lie, hurt or help himself, made people trust him and care for him.  And that trust could be used against them.

                That is, if they knew he couldn’t do those things.

                ‘Best keep hidden, like the rest,’ Harry thought.  ‘Everyone has a mask and everyone needs it.’

                Masks, cloaks, indifference…if a person wanted to survive in the world they needed these things like water.

                This knowledge depressed Harry.  He knew things that no other five-year-olds had the right to know at their age.  He knew true anger, at the way his family treated him like dirt.  He knew true loneliness, because he had no one.  He knew true sorrow, for the family he did not have.  He knew true pain, from the beatings.  He knew true fear, from the pain.  He knew true longing, for the love and caring that life had deprived him.  And he knew true hatred.

                Hatred at the life that gave him nothing.

                Hatred at how he lived.

                Hatred at the fact that he knew how life was, in reality.

                Hatred that he did nothing to change this.

                Hatred that he could do nothing to change this.

                And this depressed him.

                ‘What can I do?’ Harry thought miserably.  ‘I am just a kid.  Some kids have it worse off than me, maybe.  We can’t do anything.  And no one cares to do something.’

                Amazing what a meeting with a vampire could do, huh?  From the questions he had, he managed to lower himself to the ninth level of hell.

                And this vampire had the nerve to find him amusing!

                So, the two vampire-less weeks passed by, filled with many churning emotions.  Questions floated through Harry’s head.  Why, why, why.

                ‘Maybe I can use this unfortunate occurrence as an advantage,’ Harry thought.

                He could talk to Lest, ask him these questions, and examine the results.  He could compare the vampire’s responses to his own and maybe, just maybe, he could find the answers he has been looking for.

                All he needed was the vampire.

                And by the time the creature of the night came back, Harry would have forgotten all his questions.

                Lot of help that would do.

                ‘Bloody…he said he wanted to talk and now he leaves me hanging day by day,’ Harry thought, frustrated.

                So there Harry was, curled up in his loose clothes, weakly holding his crude stake in one hand, and laying his head on the other.  He was not asleep though.  He had not had a decent night’s sleep since that visit from the vampire.  Every night afterward, he had dozed, jerking awake at the slightest creak, listening for footfalls.

                But there was none.  Not one trace of the vampire.  Had he lied?  Had he forgotten?  Or had he found someone more ‘sensible’?  Had he already gotten bored with his human pet?

                Or was he waiting?  Was he waiting until Harry let his guard down?  Until he could no longer stay awake?  Was he waiting for the perfect moment, and then, when Harry was least suspecting, would he swoop down from the night and have his meal?

                How was he supposed to get any sleep?!?

                Harry was annoyed.  Two weeks since his birthday, since the meeting, and the vampire had not returned.  The damned party plagued his every thought of every moment, was the reason he had gotten so many beatings lately, and was why he had not gotten any sleep.  What was he going to do every night until the vampire finally got ‘bored’ of him?  He could not hold up much longer.

                Should he give up?  Should he let his wariness go?  Should he make it easy for the vampire?  Should he just surrender to the sleep and allow Lest the chance to feed?  Should he quit?  Should he leave this dream and wake up?

                What should he do?  Nothing held him here, right?  So why did he continue to struggle against the wickedness?  Why did he continue to fight on?  Why did he live?

                Something…something made him hold on to this life.  He did not know what but he knew there was something.  He had no idea what it was but there was something familiar about this reason…something he should know…something he had to live for…but what?

                Sometimes, when he slept, not lately because of the crisis at hand but before, he thought he knew.  He thought the reason, the goal, the life of him, was in his dream.  That reason filled him with hope, with joy.  But when he woke up, it fled his mind and hid, no matter how hard he tried to look or remember.  But it was there.

                So he lived on.

                And would continue to do so until that reason was gone.

                Unfortunately, he was going into withdrawal right now.  The threat of a vampire kept him awake, causing him to lose that memory of the reason.  He could not sleep, therefore he could not dream, therefore he could not see the reason, therefore he could not live.

                And he was angry with the vampire.  Why was he not here?  Why could he not leave him in peace?  Until this issue was resolved, he could not continue with his routine, could not live until he found the reason.

                That was it.  When he next saw the vampire, he was going to see if it could survive with a stake up the arse.

                ‘Ugh…I am not going to be able to hold out for much longer,’ Harry thought drowsily.

                And that’s when he heard the creak.

                So soft, so quiet, that he barely heard it.  Had he not been listening for it, had he been more fatigued, he might not have heard it at all.  But he did hear it.

                And that jerked him awake faster than a bucket full of ice.

                Suddenly awake and alert, Harry gripped the stake harder and scooted to the back of his cupboard.  Unfortunately, he pressed too hard to the wall and that hurt his tender wounds.

                Which caused him to remember that he had a lot of cuts.

                Which bled.

                Which vampires drank.

                ‘Why me?’

                The floor outside his cupboard creaked and he knew that he had no time to cover the injuries.  Harry hoped that the vampire outside had a nice meal before coming to visit him, whoever it was.

                The cupboard doorknob turned slowly.

                ‘What are we going to talk about?  What is he going to do?  What am I going to do?  Will I have the strength to hold out?  What’s going to happen?’

                The cupboard door creaked open slightly.

                ‘Oh no, he’s here, he’s really here, what am I going to do?’

                The door opened fully and Lest, the vampire, stepped in.

                ‘Oh my…’


	4. Assumptions and Fact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so you're an *impatient* arrogant jerk, Lest.
> 
> (Lest) I think you meant "were".
> 
> Naaah.

            ‘Oh my…’

            Lest raised an eyebrow at the young boy that was backed up against the wall of his cupboard.  His green eyes, bright even in the darkness of the room, were wide and frightened.  His mouth was hanging open and his breath was coming out in short gasps.  Lest was amused to notice that he still had that thin log in his hands.  It appeared to have been sharpened considerably since the last time he saw it.

            Smirking slightly, Lest moved very slowly and carefully to Harry.  With every inch that he got closer, Harry’s terrified gasps got shorter and louder.  By the time he could lift his hand and touch Harry, the boy’s gasps were almost painful to listen to.  Lest leaned closer, his face barely an inch from the boy’s bruised one.  He lifted his delicate hand…..

            …..and closed Harry’s mouth with a snap.

            ‘Ugh, I think my ears are going to be ringing for the next couple of nights,’ Lest thought, wincing, when Harry let out a shrill shriek.  The boy scrambled back even further, which amused Lest, and quickly brought up the makeshift stake.  Lest raised an eyebrow.

            “I don’t want to alarm you,” Lest said dryly, “but I can get to you, wrench that piece of wood away, and have a taste of you before you could say blood.”  This obviously did not reassure the young boy, as he paled further then he was before.

            That’s when Lest noticed the newest decorations adorning the boy’s body.  His smooth forehead wrinkled as he saw that Harry had used some type of cloth to wrap the cuts and bruises with.  The scent of his blood filled the small cupboard and made Lest’s nose twitch.

            Harry opened his mouth uncertainly, to say something, but Lest beat him to it.

            “More bruises?  More cuts?  More injuries?  If you don’t mind me asking, where do you get these?  Are you simply clumsy or is that fat oaf with not enough brain cells to rival a sloth hurting you?” Lest said sharply.  “It would appear so to me, considering how furious he looked on the first day that I met you.”

            This promptly rid the boy of his hesitance and his green eyes flashed with fury.  “I really don’t see how this is any of your concern!” The young boy retorted, his face flushed.  He unconsciously curled up tighter, trying to cover up the wounds.

            “Well, of course it’s my concern,” Lest replied smoothly, “seeing as how if he injured you to the point of death, I would no longer have anyone to argue with, now would I?”

            “Oh, that’s nice,” Harry said sarcastically.  “The only reason why you’re worried about me getting hurt is because you’re worried for yourself.  I repeat, you really know how to put someone down, huh?”

            “What is it with you?” Lest snapped.  He was getting rather annoyed and that was never a pleasant thing for the person causing the annoyance.  “One minute it seems like you’re someone I would enjoy talking to and the next you’re acting beneath the level of your knowledge.  Are you always like this or are you making a special effort to annoy me today?”

            “Annoy _you_?”  Harry said incredulously.  “Pardon me, your Majesty of all the bloody nosferatu, but weren’t you the one who stayed away for two bleeding aggravating weeks?  Weren’t you the one who wouldn’t leave me alone until I agreed to argue with you?  Weren’t you the one who looked down on _my_ problems, which, for your information, have gotten worse ever since I’ve met you?  Don’t you dare talk to me about annoyance you…..you…..damned nightwalker!”  By the end of his rant, Harry was breathing quite furiously and his usual pale skin was flushed.

            “Have you quite finished?”  Lest replied mildly.  This was what he was looking for, this spark the boy had.  But honestly, he was wasting it by ranting and raving about things he did not know about.

                Harry simply glared.

            Lest sighed and resisted the urge to rub his temples.  “Listen, Harry, I am not trying to demean you in any way.  If you would listen instead of just throwing some damn stereotypes out and being a selfish little brat, you would find that you’re not the only one with problems.  Just because I’m a bloody vampire does NOT mean that I’m out to get you for your damn blood.  I may be a vampire but I am no different than you in the way of life.”  Lest’s temper finally reached it's limits and his voice was heated by the end of his speech.

            The young boy took no notice.

            “Way of _life_?” Harry sneered.  “You’re the _undead_.  You _have_ no life.  You’re…you’re…you’re just some bleeding thing wandering the nights, preying on-” Harry got cut off as Lest’s hand shot out and grasped his throat roughly.

            The boy had gone too far.  Lest leaned in until his face was only millimeters from the boy’s.  Harry’s eyes had widened from the moment Lest’s hand had grasped his throat and his green eyes hid none of his fear.  Lest heard the young child swallow and felt the thin throat work.

            “Listen, you insolent little child,” Lest whispered in a dangerous voice, his eyes glittering.  “You know _nothing_ about me so don’t even throw out those type of accusations before you clear some things up about vampires…”

            “Why don’t you clear them up for me then?” Harry said shakily but challenging.

            ‘The boy has courage,’ Lest thought as he observed the boy’s eyes.  ‘That or he’s incredibly stupid.’  Lest watched the child a bit more before sighing and releasing his throat.  He leaned back and looked at Harry calmly.  “What do you want cleared up?”

            Harry blinked.  “What?”

            Lest sighed again.  “Well, I’m not going to be able to get the conversations I want if I don’t manage to placate you enough to be able to talk civilly with me.  I might as well reassure that little mind of yours that my fangs are going nowhere near your precious throat.  And for god sakes’, put that bloody stick down, it’s rather annoying…”

            Harry glared at Lest but placed the stake next to him  “You expect me to trust you?”  Harry said suspiciously.

            “Have I given any support to suggest otherwise?” Lest replied blandly.

            Harry looked pointedly at Lest’s hand.

            “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” Lest said irritably.  “You were practically asking me to do something to you.  You know you pushed me too far.”

            Harry glared at him before replying.  “Fine,” he snapped.  “What do you want?”

            Lest fought the urge to roll his eyes and sighed again.  “I want,” he said in his most patient voice, “to have a conversation with someone on my own level of thinking.  But that won’t happen until we clear these misunderstandings you seem to have against vampires.”

            “What misunderstandings?” Harry scowled.

            Lest once again stopped himself before he did something drastic, like strangling the little brat.  Just to be sure, he took a few deep breaths before continuing.

            “Well,” Lest said in his calmest voice, “that myth about vampires being blood-lusting creatures who savage any human who crosses their path is very wrong.”

            “Oh?”  Harry tried to cover up his interest but Lest could see right through it and inwardly smirked.

            “Well, that’s very much untrue.”  Lest leaned against one of the walls of the cupboard and made himself comfortable.  “Not all of us are _that_ obsessed with drinking blood,” Lest continued calmly.  “I mean, not all of you humans are obsessed with eating, are you?”

            “Some,” Harry muttered.  Lest raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment on that yet.

             “Well,” he continued, still curious about Harry’s comment, “not all vampires are obsessed with sucking blood.  Well…my kind of vampire isn’t at least.”

            “Your kind?”  Harry asked inquisitively.  He didn’t even try to hide his interest.

            Lest nodded.  “There are two types of vampire.  One is my kind, the civilized vampire.  My kind are more refined, more sophisticated then the other, the beasts.  Both kinds drink blood but my kind doesn’t spend every waking moment thinking about drinking it.  We like literature and the delicacies of the world as well as other refined arts.”

            “What, you can eat food?” The boy asked, surprised.

            ‘At least he isn’t hostile anymore…’ Lest thought before replying.  “Yes, my kind sometimes substitutes blood with meat, animal meat, like steak and chicken.  The meat has to be extremely rare though, red and bloody.”  Lest grinned at Harry’s blanch.  “We can live long periods of time without human blood, sustained on animal meat.  It doesn’t mean that we don’t occasionally take a bite once in a while, though…”

            The boy paled.

            Lest rolled his eyes.  “Oh, gods almighty…did I or did I not just explain that MY kind are civilized?”  Lest said irritably.

            “It doesn’t mean I’m going to trust you,” Harry retorted.  “And you just said you can live long periods without blood.  Periods, you know, end eventually.  Which means you have to drink human blood once in a while.  How can I believe that I won’t be your next refreshment?”

            Lest rubbed his temples.  “Bleeding hell…when I said I liked have someone to argue with, I meant on different topics instead of whether or not I’m going to bite you.”  Lest looked into Harry’s eyes.  “For the last bloody time, I do not plan on biting your scrawny neck.”

            Harry just hmphed and eyed Lest.

            ‘God Almighty, give me patience,’ Lest thought as he glared slightly at the young boy.  Harry shifted slightly and bit his lip, chewing it.  His eyes were obviously trying to hide his curiosity about something.  Trying being the key word.

            “What is it?” Lest snapped.  ‘My patience is all used up, if he irritates me any more tonight, I won’t be held accountable for my actions.’

            Harry shifted slightly before opening his mouth uncertainly.  “You said you were from the civilized type of vampire…what’s the other one like?”

            Lest frowned.  He really didn’t want to explain the others, it might take away any progress done tonight.  But he saw the eager and hopeful look in the child’s eyes, and sighed.

            “The beast vampires…they’re practically animals.  Their minds are wild, that of a wild creature.  The only things they can think about are drinking blood and killing.”  Lest paused.  “The beast vampires are easily distinguishable from my kind.  My kind look like humans and dress properly.  The beasts…they have no clothes, no nose.  Their faces are crude and rough, little hair growing on their small heads.  They have ragged edged teeth and their eyes are sunken in their sockets.”

            Lest abruptly stopped, noticing Harry’s wide eyes and trembling form.  ‘I shouldn’t have told him,’ Lest thought.  ‘No matter how mature he is, he’s still a child.  And I haven’t even told him the worst parts…'

            He sighed and tried to put on a reassuring air.  “You shouldn’t worry though.  Most of them were killed in the 1800’s.  There are few of them left and the ones that are still alive are hunting in the forests.  None come near the cities.”

            Lest inwardly smiled when the boy visibly relaxed.

            “Oh,” Harry said, calmer now.

            Lest nodded and then checked his watch.  He smoothly slid up before unlocking the cupboard door.

            “What, you’re leaving already?” Harry said, surprise and a bit of disappointment in his voice.  Lest smirked.

            “It’s getting late,” he said smoothly.  “I’m going to be missed.  And you need to go to sleep.  You aren’t a vampire, and not old enough to be staying up so late.”

            “Hey!” the young boy cried out indigently

            Lest just grinned.  “I’ll  be back tomorrow to attend to your childish little needs.”  Harry glared, causing Lest to chuckle.

            He stepped out and was about to close the door when Harry’s voice rang out.

            “Promise?”  Harry said hopefully.

            Lest looked at him, surprised.  ‘Well…what do you know.  I suppose we made more progress than I suspected,’ he thought.

            He nodded slowly.  “I promise I’ll come back tomorrow.”

            The young vampire boy silently shut the door and fled out of the house, into the night.


	5. Vampires

                Harry was just snuggling into bed, thankful he would finally have some sleep with no looming danger of a boy vampire coming to suck his blood, when the soft knock at his cupboard door came.

            Harry blinked and sighed.  ‘It always happens to me,’ he thought irritably as he reluctantly left his bed and crawled over to his door to open it.  ‘I finally get some peace and quiet and fate decides I don’t need it.  Why me?’

            “Oh, are we going to continue with the ‘why me’ conversation again?” a familiar voice asked, amused, from behind the door.

            Harry froze.  ‘Oh no…he just came yesterday…what’s he doing back?’ was his first thought as he looked shocked at his door.

            His second thought was, ‘WHAT?’

            “Oh come on, don’t make me talk through the door again,” Lest said, sounding a bit annoyed.  “And what was the ‘what’ for?”

            Harry trembled slightly before unlocking the door and stepping back, grabbing the crude stake where he had last left it.  Might not help, but it would give him some comfort at least.

            The boy vampire smoothly entered the cupboard and closed the door soundlessly before settling down.

            Lest once again raised an eyebrow at the stake and merely looked at Harry, eyes amused.

            ‘What’s he doing back so early??’ Harry thought frantically, looking with wide eyes at the vampire.  ‘He just came yesterday! I was expecting to get some sleep             tonight…’

            “Would you mind terribly calming yourself?” Lest said lazily.  “Those thoughts are as frantic as a rabbit’s heartbeat.  And I promised you yesterday I would be coming back tonight.”

            All at once, Harry’s thoughts stopped.  ‘He did…’ he thought numbly.  ‘He promised he would come back tonight and he did.  He kept his promise…?’  Harry’s mind was in a whirlwind.  Yes, he remembered Lest promising him he would come back but he didn’t actually expect him to.

            “You didn’t think I would come back?”  Lest asked, surprised and interrupting Harry’s train on though.

            Harry blinked and looked back at Lest.  “Well, of course not,” Harry said, confused as to why the vampire sounded so surprised.  “You promised…but promises are cheap.  I didn’t think you would actually come back.”

            “Not all promises are…would you rather I leave?” Lest said quietly, looking at Harry.

            “ _NO!”_   Harry was surprised by the intensity in his voice.  ‘Don’t I want him to go?’ he thought to himself.  ‘I did…but I guess I’m just interested in what he has to say about vampires…yeah…’

            Lest looked at Harry and he could have sworn the boy vampire’s lips twitched.  ‘Is he laughing at me?’ he thought furiously.  ‘Ugh…that arrogant little…’

            “Watch your language,” Lest said, his blue eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.  “And don’t yell, I wouldn’t have gone even if you had wanted me to.”

            “Then why did you ask?” Harry grumbled, still annoyed by the other boy’s amused tone.

            Lest shrugged and looked at Harry.  “Something called manners,” he said airily.  “I would have thought you would have known some but apparently not.”

            Harry glared.  “God, you are so annoying…” he muttered under his breath.

            The vampire merely smirked.  “Thanks.  Moving on…are there any more questions you have on vampires that your little mind wants answered?”

            He blinked.  “Excuse me?”

            “Well, it does seem you have manners,” Lest snickered.  “And I’m asking if you have any more questions about vampires or any assumptions that need clearing up.”

            Harry glared a bit at the other boy's answer before answering.  “Why?” he said suspiciously.

            “Because if we don’t clear the air, there is absolutely no way I’m going to get the conversations that I want.”

            “Of course,” Harry muttered darkly.  “Whatever good a person seems to be doing, there’s always something in it for them.”

            Lest visibly perked up.  “See?” he said cheerfully.  “Those are the conversations I want but we’re never going to get to them if I don’t soothe that child mind of yours.”

            ‘Don’t glare, don’t glare, don’t glare,’ Harry chanted in his mind.  ‘Glaring will annoy the vampire and you don’t want that.’

            “Oh, don’t worry about glaring,” Lest commented merrily.  “Something that simple won’t annoy me.  But yes, you don’t want to annoy a vampire.”

            Harry stared.  And stared.  ‘How are you doing that?’ he thought, stunned.

            “What?” Lest replied, a confused expression on his face.

            Harry waved his hands wildly, tossing the stake aside absently.  “ _THAT!_  You’re reading my mind because I’m not saying anything and just thinking and how in all the holy names of god ARE YOU DOING THAT?" _  
_

            The vampire just looked at him with his amused eyes.  ‘I swear,’ Harry thought deadly, ‘if he keeps looking amused, I don’t care how strong he is, I’ll shove this ‘stick’ up his bloody arse…’

            “Such a violent mind,” Lest grinned.  Harry just glared and Lest sighed, rolling his eyes.  “I said not _all_ things humans write about vampires are correct but _some_ are.  Telepathy, for instance, which is how I’m reading your mind.”

            Harry just looked at him with a horrified expression.  “You’re reading my mind?” he finally managed to squeak out.  “For how long!?"

            “Hmm…since I arrived,” Lest said nonchalantly.  “What’s the problem?”

            Harry gaped at him.  “What’s the problem?” he said shrilly.  “What’s the problem?! Does ‘invasion of privacy’ mean anything to you?”

            The vampire boy rolled his eyes again and looked at Harry with a very patient expression.  “Yes,” he said slowly as though speaking to a dim-witted person.  “It does.  I don’t read your mind all the time, though, just sometimes.  I just checked when I walked in and since you were thinking about me, I don’t think it’s that bad.”

            “How would you like it if someone read _your_ mind without your consent?” Harry growled.

            “Oh,” Lest grimaced.  “I know how it feels.  My sister does it to me loads of times.”

            “Then shouldn’t you learn from her example?” Harry snapped.

            Lest just shrugged.

            ‘Bleeding hell,’ Harry thought darkly as he glared at the boy, ‘I can’t even tell if my thoughts are safe.’

            A silence passed between the two boys for a while with Harry glaring at the vampire and Lest just smirking.

            “Well?” Lest asked after the pause.

            “Well what?” Harry replied irritably, still glaring.

            Lest sighed and rubbed his temples.  “Well, do you have any questions about vampires or not?” he said, his voice finally showing some of his frustration.

            Harry stayed silent but he finally stopped glaring, instead studying the wall behind Lest with new interest.

            “You do,” Lest smirked.  “Well, out with them.”

            Harry remained quiet for a while before answering.  “How…how were you born?” he asked, still not looking at Lest.

            “Eh?  I said vampire questions, not where babies come from.”

            Harry finally turned his attention away from the wall and glared at Lest.

            “You do that a lot,” the vampire boy commented.

            “Maybe if you didn’t give me reason to, I wouldn’t,” Harry replied waspishly.  ‘Is this boy purposely trying to annoy me?’ Harry thought as he glared.  He finally sighed and continued his question.  “I mean, were you born human and turned vampire or were you born a vampire?”

            “Ah…” Lest said.  “I was wondering when you were going to ask that.  Humans get confused a lot with the logic of a vampire birth.  I was born vampire by the way.”

            “How?” Harry repeated his question.  “I mean…aren’t vampires supposed to be the 'undead’?”

            “There you go with your assumptions again,” Lest sighed.  “My mother was a human – she’s a vampire now – and gave birth to me and my sister when she was human.  My father, a vampire, impregnated her. And no, I’m not going to say how.  Just know that vampire males can…impregnate…women and vampire women cannot give birth, which would explain my mother giving birth while she was human.  I said I would answer vampire questions, not the birds and the bees.”

            Harry refrained from glaring and settled for merely rolling his eyes before continuing on to his next question.  “So, you were born a vampire.  Does that mean you’ve never seen the sun?”

            “Assumptions…” Lest drawled.  “Just because I’m a vampire doesn’t mean I’ve never seen the sun.  And before you ask, I do not sleep in a coffin.  I sleep in a nice bed, just like…” Lest stopped, glanced at Harry’s pad and stayed quiet.

            ‘Yeah,’ Harry thought bitterly.  ‘I don’t live a nice life like you…’ He shook his head and continued.  “So that whole sun and bursting into flame story is fake?”

             “Partially,” Lest replied carefully.  “It’s true that vampires don’t burst into flames if they get hit by sunlight but the sun _does_ harm all vampires.”  Seeing Harry’s confused look, he explained.  “If we stay in the sunlight for a short period of time, nothing happens.  But if we stay for more than an hour, our skin _will_ begin to burn and we’ll need to get out of it.  Since we’re the undead, our bodies will sort of decompose in the sunlight.”

            Harry nodded.  ‘Wow,’ he mused. ‘Guess I should really get first hand facts…’

            “So, what other abilities do vampires have?” he asked eagerly, and leaned forward unconsciously.

            “Abilities?” Lest slowly repeated.  “You mean, like telepathy?”  Harry nodded eagerly.  “Well…all vampires have the ability of telekinesis and telepathy.  Depends how strong a vampire is to use the ability though.  Some can only use it when really emotional and others, like me, can use it at will.  We also have some strength and a bit of mind control.”

            “Mind control?” Harry repeated.

            “Yeah, we can lull people into a dreamlike state and some other things.  We can’t actually _control_ people, like making them do things they don’t want to do.”

            Harry relaxed a little.  ‘Well,’ he thought sarcastically, ‘that’s good to know.’

            Lest seemed to have noticed Harry’s tension because when he continued, his voice was calm.  “But there are a lot of limitations on mind control.  Strict rules and vampires aren’t allowed to be taught mind control until they come of age.  Any mind control without authorization…well, let’s just say a vampire won’t do it twice.”

            Harry nodded slowly.  ‘Guess I’m safe…for now’ he mused.  He was quiet for a few minutes before asking his next question.  “So…how do you kill a vampire?” he asked casually.  “And what happens when they die?”

            Harry was a bit apprehensive that these questions would anger Lest.  But what the boy vampire did next shocked Harry.

            Lest threw back his head and **_laughed_**.

            ‘What in the world…’ Harry thought nervously as he watched the vampire laugh.  ‘He better not wake the Dursleys…’

            Lest’s laughter finally died down a bit after a few minutes.  Still snickering, Lest replied.  “I really don’t know if I should answer those questions.  With the way you’ve been acting towards me…I certainly want to live past twelve.”  Lest just grinned at Harry’s wide eyes.

            “Sorry,” he snickered.  “I should have guessed you would have asked **_those_** questions.”  Still grinning, Lest leaned back against the wall and just watched Harry for a moment, his eyes dancing with laughter.

            ‘I said I would shove the stake up his arse if he kept looking amused,’ Harry thought while eyeing the vampire boy, ‘but at the moment, I’m questioning his sanity.’

             “Oh, I’m perfectly sane,” Lest said cheerfully.

            Harry decided that vampire was already insane and he was probably already in danger so he glared.  “Don’t do that.”

            Lest grinned.  “Alright.”  Lest shook his head, still looking amused.  “In answer to your questions…there a lot of ways to kill vampires.  Chopping off the head, tearing limb from limb.  But if you want it easy and simple, then just get a stake like the one you have and jab it through the vampire’s throat.  It has to be copper though, not wood.”

            “Would the same thing happen if you went for the heart?”

            “Sort of,” Lest replied slowly.  “The wound would be fatal for the vampire…but if the vampire can manage to drink enough human blood, they could regenerate and would be good as new.”

            “I thought you said a stake through the heart could kill anyone!” Harry cried out indigently.

            “Well, it would,” Lest protested.  “If you stake a vampire through the heart and make sure there’s no human blood source around, the vampire WILL die.  I wasn’t lying.”

            Harry glared.  Lest glared.

            …

            …still glaring…

            …

            “ALRIGHT!” Lest cried out, throwing his hands up in his air.  “Maybe I twisted the truth a little…” he muttered.

            Harry smirked.  Lest scowled.

            “You still haven’t answered my other question,” Harry said, still smirking.

            “What?” Lest said irritably, still scowling.

            “What happens to vampires after they die?”

            “Oh, that,” Lest said dismissively.  “Well, all the blood in their bodies drain from the wound that killed them before they dissolve into ashes.  Nothing too dramatic.  We don’t burst into flame and shriek.  We just…die…”

            “Oh…”

            Silence reigned for a few moments before Lest glanced at his watch.  The vampire boy once again smoothly stood up and began to unlock the door.

            “You’re leaving again?” Harry said, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.  “But you just got here a little while ago…”

            ‘Gods,’ Harry thought, ‘I sound like a whiny little kid.’

            “Actually, I got here around two hours ago,” Lest smirked.  “I arrived around midnight and it’s already 2:05 am.”  Lest held out his watch and Harry peered curiously at it.

            He blinked.  2:05 am winked merrily at him in bright silver.

            “Oh…” he muttered softly, feeling a slight blush going over his face.

            Lest once again looked at him.  “I’ll be back tomorrow,” the vampire boy said after a moment.  Harry perked up slightly and then frowned.

            ‘ ** _Why_** am I happy he’s coming back tomorrow?’ he wondered.

            Lest smiled slightly and patted Harry on the head before sliding out of the cupboard and closing the door quietly.

            Harry sat there in the dark, straining his ears to hear Lest’s leaving footsteps but he heard nothing but Dudley and Uncle Vernon’s snores.

            ‘Well,’ he mused as he settled back into his bed.  ‘That was…odd…in a pleasant sort of way…’

            He lay there for a while, thinking about this new encounter with the boy vampire when he remembered something.

            Harry jerked upright.  ‘ ** _HEY!_** ’ He thought furiously.  ‘He _patted_ me!!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, this is where the head pat begin.


	6. New Years and Questions

            ‘Funny,’ Harry thought as he watched his family through a crack in his cupboard door, ‘how time seems to move so fast.  One moment, you feel like time is just crawling slowly…the seconds seem to stop.  And then, you feel like you’ve blinked and jumped ahead almost half a year.’

            Dudley was doing a pathetic attempt at a New Year’s song, his voice squeaky and bellowing out.

            ‘God,’ Harry though disgustedly, ‘even his VOICE sounds fat.’

            Aunt Petunia was twittering merrily, arranging the coffee table with confetti.  And Uncle Vernon was red-faced, swigging another shot of brandy and wearing one of those outrageous party hats.  Tasteless music was blaring from the speakers by the fireplace and every light seemed to be on in the house.

            ‘Another year, gone, and I’m closer to leaving this bloody hell hole,’ Harry thought as he watched the celebrating Dursleys.  ‘No more beatings, no more scraps, no more being kept in this dark room…’

            Harry sighed and continued to watch his relatives.

\-----------

            It was past 1:00 when the Dursleys finally decided that the New Year had been celebrated enough and headed up to bed (or rather, Petunia dragging Vernon and Dudley – Harry had no idea how she managed THAT feat – up to bed before turning in herself.)

            Harry let out a relieved sigh and closed his cupboard door silently, lying back down on his cot.  ‘Finally, some peace and quiet…’

            He fluffed up the old sweater of Dudley’s – cleaned, of course – that served as his pillow and drew up the ragged sheet, prepared to doze off.

            …

            Knock.

            …

            Harry pretended it was just a figment of his imagination.

            …

            Knock.

            …

            Harry reasonably explained to himself that it was just Uncle Vernon or Dudley rolling around in their beds.

            …

            Knock.

            …

            Harry prayed that the knocking would go away.

            …

            …

            Harry let out a quiet relieved sigh and snuggled back into his cot.

            …

            “You keep forgetting that I’m a vampire, Harry, and that locks won’t stop me,” a dry and amused drawl came from the door of his cupboard.

            Harry firmly kept his eyes shut, hoping that voice was just a result from seeing Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kiss.

            ‘Go away, please, just be a figment of my vivid imagination,’ he thought desperately.

            A quiet chuckle and the soft closing of his cupboard door was his only answer.

**_‘DAMN IT IT, LEST! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STOP READING MY BLEEDING MIND, YOU BLOODY BLOOD SUCKING FIEND!!’_ **

            Laughter now came from the boy vampire.  “A little testy tonight, aren’t we Harry?” Lest snickered as he made himself comfortable for a chat.

            Harry sighed, annoyed, and rolled on his back, glaring up at the ceiling.

            “You know,” Harry said irritably, “one of these days I’m just going to collapse from sleep deprivation.”  He sat up and turned his glare on the highly amused vampire.  “Unlike you, I’m human and need sleep.”

            Lest merely smirked.  “I only stay for a couple of hours and you know I don’t come on Fridays.  That’s a perfectly nice amount of sleep for you.  Besides, we both know you enjoy talking with me and wait anxiously for me to arrive.”

            Harry snorted.  “I don’t think it’s blood you’re full of,” he retorted.  But he secretly admitted to himself that he did enjoy talking with the nosferatu.  Since August, the boy had been coming regularly, almost every night, and he bombarded the vampire boy with questions about his kind and other beings that he knew of.

            Lest rolled his eyes.  “Oh really?  Then tell me, why is it that you stopped threatening me with that stake about, oh I don’t know, mid-October,” Lest said sarcastically.

            Harry glared even more.  “I could always bring it back out if you prefer,” he snapped.

            Lest just grinned.  “No thanks,” he said cheerfully.  “It makes our conversations a lot less tense when I don’t have a twig pointed in my face.”

            ‘Don’t stick out your tongue, don’t stick out your tongue,’ Harry chanted to himself.  ‘It’ll make you seem childish and this unholy prick will have one up on you so don’t stick out your tongue.’

            Lest looked amused.  Harry growled.

            “I thought I told you to stop reading my mind, you insensitive git,” Harry snarled.

            “I didn’t,” Lest chuckled.  “I could tell what you were thinking just by looking at your face.  Open book face you have.”  Lest paused.  “Speaking of books…”

            The other boy reached into his cloak and rummaged around, obviously looking for something.  Harry tensed.

            ‘What’s he going to do??’ he thought frantically as he eyed the boy.

            “Calm down, just giving you a late Christmas gift,” Lest muttered absently as he looked through his pockets.  “Where did I…ah, here we go…” The vampire brought out a simple dark green book with shining gold lettering for the title, which he handed it to Harry.

            Harry numbly took the book with shaking hands, looking stunned.  “G…gift?” he managed to stammer out, eyes wide and shocked.

            Lest raised an eyebrow.  “Yes,” he said slowly.  “Gift.  Do you happen to know what a gift is or do I need to draw out the details for you?”

            Harry felt a slight stab of annoyance, which took him out of his shock.  He momentarily gave Lest an annoyed look before looking at the leather bound book.  Heirs of the Night, read the title, _by Sliane Jistien_.  Harry slowly ran a trembling hand down the cover and shakily thumbed through the thick book, its pages yellow and written in dark blue ink.

            Harry slowly raised his head up to look at Lest, who was looking at him with a curious – and was there a trace of anxiety? – look.  His throat felt tight and the dark room that enclosed them seemed to blur a bit.  He hastily scrubbed at his eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed.  “Thank you,” he murmured sincerely.

            Was it just him or did Lest seem to relax a bit? How odd…

            “Think nothing of it,” Lest said breezily.  “That book is practically given to every vampire child and holds many myths and tellings of vampires throughout the ages.  All true,” he added.  “I thought it would answer all of your questions on vampires and we could get to talking about some of MY questions.”  Lest looked pointedly at Harry after saying this.

            Harry just gave a sweet smile and hugged the book closer.  “Ah,” he said wisely.  “You’re trying to get me to stop asking questions…” He glanced at the book and smirked.

            Lest eyed Harry warily.  “What’s that smirk for?” Lest asked suspiciously.

            “No reason!” Harry said brightly.

            The vampire looked at Harry with a suspicious look but shrugged.  “All right…it’s not like anything bad could come from that book.”  Lest smoothly stood up and unlocked the door, stepping out.

            Harry’s smile at Lest’s comment faded into shock at his exit.  “What?” he exclaimed.  “You’re leaving already? You just got here!”

            “I know,” Lest sighed.  “But I have some things I need to attend to.  I just stopped by to give you the book and wish you a Happy New Year.  Now that that’s done, I shall be taking my leave.”

            “But…but you’ll be back Monday. Right?” Harry said desperately.

            Lest nodded.  “Of course.”  He paused, and then smirked.  “I was right.”

            “About what?” Harry asked confusedly.

            “You _do_ wait anxiously for my every arrival,” Lest sniggered.  Harry threw one of Dudley’s broken toys at him, causing the vampire boy to laugh as he shut the door.

            Harry glared, annoyed, at the closed door.  “He is so annoying,” he muttered as he laid back down after tucking the book into his secret panel.  “God knows why I put up with him and just not stake him…”

\-----------

            Monday arrived, along with Lest’s return.

            The boy vampire appeared surprised to see Harry already up and waiting for him.  “What, I don’t have to kick down the door tonight?” he grinned.

            Harry didn’t even bother with a greeting.  “Why do vampires get jewels at the age of 16?”

            “Jewels?” Lest repeated.

            “What’s the jewel's purpose?”

            “Purpose?” the vampire said, looking confused.

             “What do vampires get educated in at Nosle Academy?”

            “Nosle Academy?” the boy said, puzzled.

            “What does ‘danger of eradication by magic humans’ mean?”

            “Magic humans?” The poor vampire boy looked uneasy.

            “What ‘potions’ are necessary for vampire survival?”

            “Potions?”  Lest began to look a bit paler than usual.

            “How do vampires ‘interbreed by magic’?” Harry’s face shone with eagerness and the vampire saw the he was clutching Heirs of the Night.

            Lest just stared, open mouthed at the boy’s rapid questioning.

            “Qye…” he muttered.

            Harry heard it and a curious expression came upon his face.  “Qye?” he asked curiously.

            “Qye is ‘questioner’ in vampiric language,” Lest muttered distractedly, the vampire still reeling from Harry’s relentless questioning.

            Harry perked up.  “Vampiric language? Vampires have their own language? Where did it originate? Is it hard to learn? Can you teach me?” he asked hopefully.

            Lest groaned softly.  “I’m _never_ going to get _my_ conversations…” he muttered

            “NOW!” Harry ordered, eyes shining with anticipation.  Lest’s eyes went wide and appeared to be slightly afraid.

            Harry inwardly smirked.


	7. School and Family

            ‘Okay…I’m surrounded by a bunch of kids my own age who are acting younger than their six years…what _do_ I do?’ Harry thought, annoyed, as he looked around the chaotic kindergarten classroom.  ‘How about, not lose your temper and send any more kids into hysterical crying fits?’

            The classroom was large with yellow walls and beige carpet.  A large chain of paper that had numbers and letters of the alphabet crisscrossed along the ceiling of the room, a disturbing brown color.  And in the room itself were a bunch of weeping and screaming kids, clutching their parents.  The teacher was fuzzy-haired, blond, middle-aged woman who was trying – key word, trying – to consult a hysterical five soon to be six year old, crying out for her momma.

            ‘Pathetic, really,’ he thought disgustedly as a young boy clung to his father’s leg and wailed horribly.  ‘How are they going to survive the rest of their school years if all these kids are so dependent on their parents?  Honestly, their parents should have given their children more independence…’

            ‘Like you?’ a voice in his head said.  ‘Growing up with no one and having to take care of yourself? No one here has lived like you…they’ve all had it easier…’

            Harry growled softly to himself as he looked around the room darkly.  ‘Hmph.  Least I won’t be embarrassed like Dudley probably is…’

            It was the first day of September, marking the beginning of Harry’s school years.  Aunt Petunia had driven Dudley, in his new clothes and parted hair, and Harry, in Dudley’s disgusting hand-me-downs, to school.  The moment she got there, she practically kicked Harry out of the car and told him he would have to walk home.  Then she picked up Dudley – Harry marveled at her strength – and waddled over to his classroom, leaving Harry to find his own way.

            Harry had momentarily panicked, thinking he would be late for his class. 

            “Wonderful,” he had muttered to himself as he wandered through the enormous school.

            He had finally managed to reach his classroom, and felt a second of relief when he realized he wasn’t going to get in trouble.  That moment was soon replaced by disgust when he noticed the madness in the room.  He had been late by five minutes already but the teacher hadn’t noticed since she had been trying to soothe a sobbing six year old.  So Harry had slipped quietly to a corner and watched the weeping kids enter the classroom.  And he sneered.

            ‘Hmph…I really hope the year won’t be as bad as this…talk about a first impression…’

            The teacher eventually managed to calm down the new students and quickly ushered the anxious parents out of the room and closed the door.  She then turned, smiling a false kind smile at the nervous students.

            “Hello children,” she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.  “My name is Mrs. Swain and I’ll be your teacher for the rest of the school year.”  She falsely beamed at all the kids in the room.  “And we’ll be such good friends, won’t we?”  Some of the kids smiled weakly, buying the teacher’s fake attitude and relaxing slightly but Harry just scowled.

            ‘Right,’ he thought sarcastically.  ‘Next you’ll tell us we can come to you whenever we’re troubled…and when we do, you’ll be all kind and tell us that we’re being silly.  Why don’t you just give up the act lady?’

            Mrs. Swain smiled a false bright smile, and looked around the room.  “And I just want all of you to know that whenever you’re feeling troubled, you can always come to me and I’ll make sure I get you on the right track, alright?”  The class smiled happily at their teacher.

            Harry sneered.

\-------

            ‘Can I quit school, please?’ Harry thought exhaustedly as he trudged home later that day.  ‘I mean, I know I’m smarter than anyone in that class – teacher included – and I already know how to read and write.  I can manage on my own, right?’

            After the teacher’s introduction, she sent all the kids out to play in the room.  Harry had just stayed sullenly in his corner and glared at any foolish kid to come near him.  Many of those kids ran off, crying to the teacher.

            _“Harry,” Mrs. Swain said sternly.  “Can you please tell me why you made Lizzy cry?”_

_“I didn’t do anything,” Harry replied flatly._

_“Lizzy says you looked mean at her and now she’s very upset.  Don’t you think you should perhaps apologize?  You did hurt her feelings…” the teacher reprimanded._

_Harry stared, disbelieving, at the strict looking teacher.  “You’re going to make apologize for **looking** at her?” he said incredulously._

_Mrs. Swain sighed.  “Harry, if you’re going to be so rude, maybe you should go sit out on one of the benches outside…” she said, obviously thinking Harry wouldn’t want to leave and would apologize._

_“Fine,” Harry shortly said, standing up and beginning to walk out the door.  “It’s not like I have anything to do here…”_

_Mrs. Swain had merely stared, bewildered, at the boy’s retreating back._

            And the day had only gotten better.  At snack, Harry had been wandering along the playground when he had stumbled across Dudley and some other mean-looking kids.  At first, he had been planning to just avoid them but Dudley had other ideas…

            _“Well, well, well,” Dudley smirked.  “If it isn’t the little freak…”_

_Harry eyed his cousin and the boys around him warily.  “There’s only one freak here,” Harry said coolly, “and it’s not me.”_

_The smirk fled from Dudley’s face and he glared at Harry.  “Why you little…” He suddenly smiled.  “Hey guys, I know what game we can play…Harry Hunting!”_

_Harry immediately began running._

            Luckily, the bell rang before Dudley and his gang could catch him.  He had run back into his classroom and stayed quiet until it was time to leave.

            And now he was trudging home – or at least, the place he lived – while keeping a careful eye out for anyone out to harass him.

            ‘You know,’ Harry thought darkly at he reached 4 Privet Drive, ‘school makes a visit by Lest seem almost pleasant…’

\-------

            Harry was lying in his cot when Lest crept in and shut the door behind him.

            “What’s the matter with you?” Lest said, noticing Harry’s glum expression and raising an eyebrow.

            “Besides my entire life being obviously very bloody bad?” Harry said sarcastically.  “School.  Or rather, the people attending my school.”

            “Idiots?” Lest said dryly.

            “You have no idea,” Harry groaned, covering his face up.  “My entire life, I have been surrounded by ignoramuses – I’m including you, just to let you know…”

            “Thanks,” Lest said, rolling his eyes.

            “I mean,” Harry suddenly exploded, sitting up, “is it really that hard to just go to school and learn?  But noooo…I have to attend probably the slowest class in my school.”

            “That bad huh?” Lest commented, looking at Harry amusedly.

            Harry didn’t notice.  “Yeah, the teacher is so fake, she would make that American doll – what’s her name? Barbie? – seem like real flesh and blood.  And that isn’t even the worst part.”

            “The worst part is…?”

            Harry flopped back onto his bed, his face looking bitter.  “Dudley.”

            Lest raised another eyebrow and chuckled quietly.  “Dudley?  What in the world kind of name is that?”

            He smiled slightly.  “I was wondering the same thing…and for your information, Dudley is that big fat kid living in this house.”

            Lest smirked.  “I thought your name was Harry?”

            Harry turned his head and glared at Lest.  “Your wit astounds me,” he growled.  “Dudley’s my cousin and a great big bully.”

            Lest rested his head against the door of Harry’s cupboard and studied Harry.  “Bully?  You mean he picks on you?  Charming cousin, really.”

            “Yeah…try living with the git since you were barely a year old,” Harry sighed.

            Lest watched Harry for a moment.  “Why do you let them treat you like this?” he finally said quietly.

            “You say that as if I had a choice,” Harry replied bitterly.  ‘Why do I let them?  He talks as if I _like_ what they do to me…’     

            “Well,” Lest said irritably, “they’re obviously maltreating you…why don’t you just ask for help?”

            Harry glared.  “Drop it,” Harry snarled.  “I don’t have to explain anything to you.”

            Lest bristled and glared back at Harry.  “I’m just trying to help,” the vampire growled.  “There’s no need to get angry at me just because I’m being nice.”

            Harry rolled his eyes.  “People aren’t nice,” he growled back.  “There’s always something for them when they help someone.”

            The boy vampire just stared at Harry.  “Do you honestly believe that?” he said softly.

            “Prove me otherwise,” Harry replied just as softly.  “Prove me otherwise…”

            Lest shook his head.  “I can’t,” he said quietly.

            Harry turned on his side and looked bleakly at the wall.  “I know,” he whispered.


	8. Birthdays and Oddness

            “Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me,” Harry muttered in his cupboard.  “Happy Birthday, dear me, Happy Birthday to me…”

            Harry sighed.  It was July 31 again and it was his seventh birthday.  ‘Another birthday, another year,’ he thought glumly.  ‘It’s amazing how time just seems to fly by…feels like it was just yesterday that I was in Mrs. Swain’s class.’  Harry grinned slightly.  ‘One good thing about time moving fast…don’t have to face her anymore.’

            He sighed again and curled up in his cot, looking at the door and hoping Lest would come tonight, even though it was Friday.  Lest never came on Fridays or weekends.  ‘It would be nice though…’

            Harry marveled over how close he and the vampire had gotten over the course of two years.  They still bickered and fought and glared and the vampire boy still annoyed Harry.  ‘He’s almost as annoying as the Dursleys,’ Harry mused. ‘But not quite yet.

            Overall, however, it was beginning to feel pleasant talking with someone who didn’t look down on him.  Lest would come almost every night and Harry would be waiting, eager to question the vampire about his kind.  He was always asking questions and Lest would always grumble that he never got to ask HIS questions and call Harry Qye, his new nickname for Harry ever since he gave his the first book.  Harry would then always smirk and say that it was the boy’s own fault. 

            ‘Well it is,’ Harry thought to himself defensively.  ‘If he hadn’t given me those books, I would never have gotten so many questions and he could get his conversations…maybe…’

            Besides Heirs to the Night, Lest also gave Harry Secrets of the Nosferatu by _Kassidy Takian_ for his sixth birthday, and  Nightwalker Truths by _Ruavna Qilatene_ for Christmas last year.   Both books were desperate attempts by Lest to answer all of Harry’s questions about vampires.  Sadly, the attempts were in vain and every time Lest returned, Harry was filled with more questions than ever.      

            Harry mused to himself.  ‘He’s always given me gifts…and I haven’t given him anything yet…why do I care that I want to get something for him?’  Since they met, Lest always gave Harry a gift for every occasion possible yet Harry never returned the kindness.  ‘Not this time though…’

            Harry sighed again.  ‘Of course, he’s not coming tonight…but it would be nice.’

            “What would be nice?”

            “It would be nice if Lest came tonight,” Harry said distractedly.  ‘Course he’ll never know that considering I would… _HOLD IT_!’

            Harry jerked up, eyes widening.  Lest was leaning against the cupboard’s door frame, holding a small box wrapped in dark blue paper and green ribbon.  The vampire boy was looking amusedly at Harry, a smirk playing at his lips.

            “Aw, Qye, I never knew you cared,” Lest teased as he slipped in the cupboard and closed the door behind him.  “Here was me thinking you wouldn’t care if I was torn apart by werewolves.”

            “I don’t,” Harry growled as he glared at the vampire.  “And I’ve told you repeatedly to **_NOT_** read my mind!” 

            “Who says I’m going to listen?” Lest retorted.  “And happy birthday to you too.”  The vampire boy handed over the covered box and settled against the cupboard wall.

            The glare immediately vanished from his face and Harry happily took the gift.  “Thank you.”  Harry then began to eagerly unwrap the box, careful to not ruin the wrapping, expecting another book.

            The gift wasn’t a book.  It was necklace with an odd pendent on it.  Harry studied the pendent curiously and saw that it had an image engraved on it of a crescent moon on its side, a silvery blue, with stars, a metallic gray, beneath it.  The moon and stars seemed to twinkle in the moonlight.

            Harry looked puzzledly up at the vampire.  “What is this?”

            Lest raised an eyebrow.  “You’ve never seen a necklace before?” he said, disbelieving.

            “I know what a necklace is,” Harry said, annoyed, and rolled his eyes.  “I mean, what does the necklace do?  Where did you get it?”

            “Oh, that,” Lest said casually.  But Harry noticed that the vampire boy seemed to tense up a bit.  “It’s just a necklace that was given to me to give to someone.  Thought you might like it.  Doesn’t do much, you just wear it.”

            Harry looked curiously at the vampire.  “Who were you supposed to give it to?” he asked puzzled.  The necklace looked extremely expensive, the chain black and smooth while the pendent looked worn with age and valuable.

            “Just someone,” Lest said irritably.  “Do you want it or not?”

            “Of course,” Harry said, hurriedly putting on the necklace.  “Thank you.”

            Lest seemed to relax and Harry pondered why the vampire appeared to be so tense tonight.  Then he remembered his own gift in his panel.  Harry quickly leaned over and opened it, shifting through his objects and pulled out a charm bracelet.

            Harry moved around a bit, uneasy, before quickly putting the bracelet in the vampire’s hands.  “Happy birthday.”

            Lest stared, shocked to the core, at Harry.  The older boy’s eyes were wide and his mouth had fallen open.  The vampire looked down at the bracelet.  “This is…a gift…for me…from you?” Lest finally manage to choke out.

            ‘This floor really is fascinating, I wonder why I’ve never given it a second notice,’ Harry thought as he studied the floor.  He wasn’t blushing.  No, it was just warm.  It _was_ summer after all, and the room was cramped with two people in it.

            “Yeah…” Harry muttered.  “I remember you telling me that your birthday was the same as mine and you’ve always given me presents and I’ve never returned the favor and this bracelet is supposed to bring good luck and I thought you might like it and need some so I thought that maybe you-”

            “Qye,” Lest interrupted.

            “Hmm?”  ‘The floor REALLY doesn’t get the attention it deserves…’

            “You’re rambling.  Shut up.  And thank you.”

            It was official.  Harry Potter was blushing.

            Lest smirked and put the bracelet on, studying it.  “This thing looks really expensive…where did you get it?”

            Harry tore his attention away from the interesting floor and finally met Lest’s eyes.  “Some odd man gave it to me when I was walking home a few days ago…” Harry muttered.  “I was just walking by and the guy decided to hug me.  Then he gave me the bracelet and said it would give me good luck.”  Harry frowned.  “Then he said something **really** creepy.”

            “Oh?” Lest said, looking at Harry.

            “Yeah…” Harry replied slowly.  “He said, ‘This charm will bring you good luck, not that you’ll ever need it, eh Mr. Potter?’  Then he walked away.  I just stood there for a minute, kind of freaked out that this strange guy knows my name, but when I looked for him, he seemed to have vanished.  And that’s really strange, considering the street was empty.”  Harry looked thoughtfully at Lest.  “What do you make of that?”

            “I don’t think you should call him odd, maybe he mistook you for someone else.”

            Harry rolled his eyes.  “I think you missed the whole ‘knew my name’ part,” he said sarcastically.  “I think the guy just escaped a place with padded walls.”

            “Always quick to judge, aren’t you Qye?”  Lest replied mildly.  “Might I remind you that assumptions aren’t always right?”

            Harry shifted guiltily around.  “Well, what do you think odd is then?” he said defensively.  “I mean, this strange guy suddenly gives me a gift and knows my name, then vanishes on an empty street.  Don’t you think that’s odd?”

            Lest merely shrugged.  “I’m just saying you shouldn’t be so quick to assume things,” he said lightly.  “Assumptions can be dangerous for anyone.”

            “I’m not **assuming** the guy is odd.  I **know** the guy is odd,” Harry said uncomfortably.

            Lest arched an eyebrow at Harry.  “Well,” the vampire said dryly, “one person’s definition of odd could be another’s definition of normalcy.”

            Harry thoughtfully toyed with the pendent.  “Maybe,” he finally said reluctantly.  “I’ll make sure to ask the guy if I ever see him again,” He snickered.

            Lest grinned and stood up, opening the door.  Harry forlornly watched Lest exit of his cupboard.

            “Why did you come tonight?” Harry called out just before Lest closed the door.  Lest blinked at the sudden question, then smirked.

            “It’s your birthday,” Lest grinned.  “Thought I would just send my regards.”

            “But…you never come on Fridays…”Harry said confusedly.

            Lest shrugged.  “I don’t,” the vampire boy replied nonchalantly.  “But I thought I would make an exception for you.”  Lest then raised an eyebrow.  “Are you complaining?”

            “ ** _NO_**!” Both were surprised by the fierceness in Harry’s voice.

            Lest smirked.  “Aww…Qye, you DO love me,” the other boy laughed.

            Harry growled and threw a spider crawling around his feet at the laughing vampire.  Lest’s eyes widened and he yelped, ducking to avoid the flying arachnid.  Harry snickered.

            “Aww…” he said mockingly.  “Is the big bad vampire afraid of a itsy bitsy spider?”

            Lest glared at the younger boy.  “Breathe a word to anyone,” he growled, “and we’ll see if you can fly.”

            Harry’s quiet laughter followed the sullen vampire boy as he left the Dursley household.


	9. Quarrels

            “You know,” Harry said irritably to Lest one night, “if the Dursleys didn’t starve me as it is, I would still be skinny.”

            “Why do you say that?” Lest asked amusedly.

            “That pig that’s supposedly my bloody cousin got all his bloody gang and chased me around the schoolyard for both snack and lunch!” The young boy raged at the amused vampire.

            Lest frowned.  ‘Honestly, how is Qye related to these barbarians?’ he wondered for a moment before continuing to listen to the fuming child.

            “I had to run all around, tripping over these flaming rags called clothes,” Harry scowled at the long gray shirt and sweats that were previously his cousin's.

            “It could be worse,” Lest lazily said.

            “How?” growled the scowling boy, not looking up from glaring at his hand-me-downs.

            “You could be wearing the revolting brown with orange shoulder puffs sweater that your aunt tried to strangle with you a couple of days ago,” the vampire boy replied in an innocent voice.

            The black-haired child shuddered and turned his glare at the snickering vampire.  “That isn’t funny, Lest,” Harry snarled and threw a half-hearted punch at the other boy.  “That thing was pathetic, I almost feel sorry for Dudley for wearing it.  You have no idea how relieved I was when I saw that the dryer shrunk it.”

            Lest laughed, yet kept it quiet enough to not wake the sleeping family upstairs.  “I told you it could be worse,” he laughed before controlling himself.  “So, continue with your tale of woe, Qye.”

            Harry sighed and fell back on his pallet, absently playing with the pendent that Lest had given him.  “They chased me for a long time; none of my idiot classmates spared any sympathy.  I ran around the dumpsters, trying to find some way of losing those gits.”  The boy paused.  “The oddest thing happened when they were chasing me behind the trashcans.”

            “Oh?” Lest said curiously.

            “Yeah…” Harry said slowly.  “They were way behind me, being as fat and large as they are, so I figured that I would jump behind the trashcans and hide until they left. But when I jumped…”

            “Yes?”

            “I landed on the roof.”

            “…the roof?” Lest repeated slowly, blinking owlishly.

            “The roof,” Harry answered.  “I don’t know how THAT happened, I guess the wind must have carried me up there.”

            “The wind carried you from the ground to the ROOF?!?” Lest said incredulously.  “Tell me, did that jump scramble a few cells in your brain?”

            “Well,” the small boy replied defensively, “what other reason could there be?”

            Lest sighed and rubbed his temples.  ‘How **could** Qye get up there?  Last I checked, humans can’t fly or jump extremely high or transport themselves from…place…to...’ He narrowed his eyes suddenly and frowned darkly, looking at the young boy.  ‘Could it be…is it possible…no, Qye can’t be one of them.  He hasn’t shown any ability that he is…except for his intelligence…but…no.’

            “Lest,” Harry said suddenly, looking decidedly uneasy, “why are you looking at me like that?”

            The vampire blinked, the frown fading from his face.  “Like what?”

            “Like I’m a poisonous piece of slime that annoys you.”

            He smirked.  “Qye, you’re only one of those things.  Last I checked, you were human, not slime.  And though you have quite a tongue” – Lest looked pointedly at Harry, making the smaller boy flush – “you’re not poisonous.  So guess what that makes you?”

            “I know you are but what am I?” Harry retorted, emerald eyes flashing.  The boy blushed a moment after he said that and lowered his eyes in embarrassment.

            Lest laughed and stood up.  “You might be smarter than those fools running the Americas but you’re still a child.”  He quickly ducked out of the cupboard before Harry could fling a spider at him, and left him, snickering.

                                                                                                                                            -------

            Lest opened the familiar wood door of the cupboard, three days later after his previous encounter with Harry, and stopped in his tracks as a fresh scent of blood entered his nose.

            ‘Oh no, not this again…’ Lest snarled mentally. The vampire boy closed the door behind him quickly and leaned closer, lightly touching the small wrapped bundle that was Harry.

            “Qye?”

            “Go away Lest,” the child – he is a child, Lest remembered – said and curled up further into a ball, tucking the small blankets even closer.

            Lest frowned.  The smell of blood covered up every other scent in the room and it made his nose twitch.  “Bloody hell I am, stop cowering and straighten up, will you?” he growled and poked the bundle again.

            Harry whirled around his cot and looked up furiously, green eyes bright in his bruised face.  “I said go away you annoying damn demon of hell!” the young boy snarled, sitting up and letting the blankets fall down from him.  “It hurts enough and I don’t need some blood sucking monster drooling over my blood and hitting me.”

            Lest stared.  Harry – ‘God, he’s a child, how can they do this to a _child_?’ – was covered in black, blue, and purple bruises from head to toe.  A huge rough black bruise lay heavily on his cheek and some blood had dried at his temple.  The messy black hair, so common, was lank and matted with dried blood.  Bright emerald green eyes were bloodshot and dull with pain.  But the thing that got him most was the small white shirt…drenched in blood.  The vampire noticed how the younger boy winced as he sat up and his sense of smell told his that the scent of blood was strong behind the boy.

            He slowly raised a hand and gently touched the black bruise that covered Harry’s left eye.  The boy flinched and drew back, breathing in sharply and trembling with obvious pain.  Lest’s eyes flashed.

            “Why the hell do you keep letting them do this to you?”  Even to his own ears, his voice sounded cold and harsh.  He dimly wondered what the other boy thought of it.

            If Harry was afraid, he did a good job of hiding it.  The only reaction that Lest saw was the flicker in his weary green eyes, so brief he couldn’t decipher it, before it was swallowed by cold fury.

            “Why do you keep saying it like that?” Harry hissed, straightening up and balling up his hands.  “You keep saying it like I **let** them do these things to me!  You think I **like** getting beat?  **Like** getting hit and bruised and laughed at? Don’t you think I’ve **tried** to stop them? Tried to stop from getting hurt? Don’t you?!” Harry snarled.

            Lest felt a pang of…something…but irritably brushed it aside.  His fury at Harry – a child! – getting hurt overwhelmed logic his mind.  “Well, you’re obviously not trying hard enough!” Lest snapped.  “I’ve known you for past a year now and you **still** get hurt!  If you were smart – something I used to think you were, but now I’m not so sure – you would have told someone and had this…this…injustice finished!”

            “You honestly think I haven’t tried that already?” Harry sneered.  “You think I’ve been trying to stop them all by myself?  Give me some credit, you git, I’ve tried but I think you’re the idiot here.  Do you honestly think anyone will believe a kid?  They would laugh, thinking I’ve been making up a lie or scowl and tell the Dursleys to discipline me **more** for telling such wicked tales.  You put too much faith in people Lest.”

            “And you put too little!” Lest snarled back.  He knew his fury was making him unreasonable and his temper would soon explode fully but he didn’t care.  “So what?  You try a couple of people, get a few failures, and quit trying?  Who’s the idiot now?  Don’t judge people based on a couple of dim-witted morons, I keep telling you that but you don’t seem to be listening!”

            The green-eyed boy’s eyes flashed angrily and he picked up one of his cousin’s toys and threw it at Lest.  “Get out!” Harry shouted.

            “I will!” Lest stood up angrily, flung the door open and stalked out angrily, banging the door behind him loudly.


	10. Returns and Explanations

            ‘Stupid, idiotic, moron, git, jerk, bastard…’ Harry snarled inwardly as he glared at the back of his teacher’s head.  ‘Arrogant, infuriating, schmuck, annoying, irritating son of a dead female dog.’

            It was cold, sunny February morning and he was seething in his classroom, surrounded by a bunch of annoying giggling girls and immature boys.  It had been three months since Lest’s – ‘JERK!’ Harry snarled mentally – last visit and the young boy was fuming at the fact.  The vampire had missed Christmas and New Year’s and had not shown his – ‘UGLY!’ – face since that argument so long ago after a recent beating.

            ‘It’s not my fault he lost his temper,’ Harry fumed as he irritably worked on some math problems, glaring at the impossible fractions.  ‘Honestly, the way he was snapping at me, you’d think he thinks I ask for the pain.  Someone should-’

            The teacher, Mrs. Furan, interrupted Harry’s train of thought, tapping the chalkboard with a meter ruler sharply.  “Class,” she said in her dry voice, “I have just finished grading your previous spelling tests and I must say I am very disappointed in the average. I’ll just hand them back and I hope all of you will study next time.”

            Mrs. Furan handed Harry his test with that small mix of a frown and glare look she always had for him.  ‘Ratty old bat in spectacles,’ he thought sourly as she finally moved away.  ‘She should go jump in a lake, melt to death the miserable…old…’ Harry never managed to finish that thought as he looked at his score in disbelief.  He knew he passed before he even got his test.  After the test, he checked his dictionary and knew he had gotten a perfect score.

            So that big fat zero on his paper must have been a mistake.

            Harry was about to raise his hand to ask Mrs. Furan to put the correct grade on before he saw the small neat writing under the grade.  He leaned closer and squinted his eyes, trying to read the bright orange writing.

            ‘ _Messy writing. Illegible._ ’

            Harry gaped incredulously.  ‘Messy writing?! Is she insane? I have the neatest penmanship in this entire SCHOOL!’

            Harry stared furiously at the teacher’s head, his paper shaking in his hands and eyes narrowed into slits.  ‘That…that…cow! Damn her! Damn this school! DAMN LEST!!’

            Harry blinked.  The class roared with laughter.  Harry blinked again.

            It was a known fact around the school that Mrs. Furan was extremely touchy about her hair and guarded it fiercely.  She had been seen with a hair net on windy days, and a plastic one on rainy.  She had always taken pride in its rich blond locks and never hid her contempt for redheads, brunettes or raven-heads.

            So she never seemed the type to dye it bright blue.

            “What are all of you laughing at?” she snapped irritably as snickers floated through the room. She placed her hand on her hip, looking sternly around at the class and absently patting her hair bun.  A strand came loose and fell straight into her face.

            She stared at the blue strand with wide brown eyes and swallowed, all the color in her face fading. Licking her lips nervously, Mrs. Furan reached unsteadily into her drawer of her desk and pulled out a silver compact mirror.  Slowly and carefully, with the class watching with bated breath, she opened it and looked at it.

            ‘I never knew teachers could scream so loudly,’ Harry mused as Mrs. Furan let out an unearthly scream and drop her mirror.  She then began to curse wildly at the students, making them laugh even harder.  ‘Wow, I think I need to look up a couple of those words.’

            That thought immediately made him scowl.  Lest had said that same thing on the night they had first met when Harry had demonstrated his vulgar vocabulary.  ‘Bloody hell, that damn blood-sucking leech is rubbing off on me.’

            Unfortunately, Mrs. Furan had been looking straight at him when he began to scowl.  “You!” she shrieked.  “You, Potter, you did this, didn’t you!?”

            Harry raised an eyebrow.  “Mrs. Furan,” he replied coolly, “would you perhaps mind grasping what little sanity you have at the moment and think about what you just said.  How would I be able to change your hair color in a matter of milliseconds? I think that even without the blond hair, you’re still a bit air-headed, wouldn’t you agree?”  He smirked at the roar of laughter coming from the rest of the class.

            He knew saying all of that would land him trouble.  So he wasn’t at all surprised when the red-faced teacher grabbed him by the ear and proceeded to yank him to the headmaster’s office.  He knew that even by replying, he was going to get some form of punishment, and not only from the school.

            ‘But,’ he thought as the young blue-haired woman began to rant at the headmaster, ‘it was worth it.  Honestly, a **_zero_**.’

                                                                                   -----

            March came along with the return of Lest.  It was a month after one of Harry’s beatings because of the blue-hair scandal and he was still sporting a couple of brown bruises.  He had been checking over himself when his cupboard door flung open and the 12-year-old vampire boy swept in.

            Harry stared blankly as Lest made himself at home, looking as though he hadn’t been gone for four months and looking as full of himself as ever.  Lest, however, wasn’t all the same as when he had last seen him.  The boy vampire still had his dirty blond locks, slightly longer than before, and dancing blue eyes that seemed to say that they knew something that you didn’t, and the pale skin was still its glowing self.  However, Lest had grown slightly taller since he seemed to hunch more in the small cupboard room and his face looked slightly more mature.

            “Hello to you too,” Lest said lazily, bringing Harry out of his daze.  “You’re still the small little midget I last saw.”

            “And you’re still that damn arrogant, holier-than-thou, blood-sucking, fiendish, snobbish, snotty, bratty leech you ever were!” Harry shot back immediately, his anger at Lest returning.  “Why the hell have you decided to come back?! I can assure you that I still mean to carry out that ‘twig in the arse’ threat I gave you before!”

            Lest snickered.  “Somebody slept on the wrong side of the cupboard evidently,” he chuckled.  “What are you so worked about?”

            Harry gaped at the smiling vampire.  ‘Has he completely lost his mind?’ he wondered.  ‘Or maybe he’s got amnesia. Why is he acting like nothing has happened?’

            “Nothing _has_ happened, to my knowledge,” Lest said, raising his eyebrow.  “And I still have my mind all intact, thank you very much, which means I have my memory as well.  I ask again, what are you so worked up about?”

            “Damn it Lest!!” Harry snapped.  “I bloody well told you to stop reading my damn mind, you inconsiderate little prick.”  Both of the other boy’s eyebrows rose into his hairline but he was too far-gone to care.  “As for what the hell is working me up, it’s you, you damn piece of slime.  You leave for more than three whole months and now you come back, acting as though nothing has damn well happened and you expect me to do the bloody well the same?  Go to hell Lest!”

            By the time he had finished, Lest was looking at him flatly and had in some point of his rant, crossed his arms.  With Harry’s last words, Lest opened his mouth.

            “You really know how to hold grudges, don’t you?” Lest said bluntly.  “Don’t you know when to forgive and forget? Or is that a concept you have not yet learned? Perhaps I should teach it to you.”

            Harry once again gaped at Lest.  “Did you not just hear a word I said?” he said incredulously.  “You left me alone for four months, without a word of warning, and now you expect everything to go back to the way it was?”

            Lest muttered near soundlessly under his breath but Harry was able to catch it in the silence of the Dursley house.  “What are we, married?”  Harry flushed and gave Lest a withering glare, which Lest promptly shook off.  In a louder voice, he continued.  “I was busy with family affairs,” the vampire said in a calm, patient voice.  “Personal family affairs that sprung up surprisingly. I never had the chance to contact you and tell you I would not be able to see you.”

            Harry laid down on his pallet, and turned over, covering himself tightly with his blanket.  He was beginning to feel a bit foolish.  He had been so angry – ‘Not hurt,’ he thought mentally, ‘not at all hurt.’ – at the ditching of Lest that he never stopped to consider that maybe there had been a reason for Lest not coming.  ‘Brilliant show of intelligence there, Potter,’ he thought bitterly as he curled up.

            His voice was icy, however, when he spoke to Lest.  “I suppose that these ‘personal family affairs’ were so pressing that you couldn’t take a minute to write me a note, saying you wouldn’t be able to come, huh?”

            “And how was I supposed to send it to you?”  The vampire finally lost a bit of his calm to interject some frustration into his voice.  “You think those pigs you call family would give you any letters sent to you?”  Lest barked a short, humorless laugh.  “I think they would rather rip it up to pieces in front of your eyes.”

            Harry stayed quiet.  He knew the other boy was right but he was too proud to admit it.  ‘It still wouldn’t have hurt to sent a note,’ he thought grumpily.

            “Burn me,” Lest growled under his breath.  “You think I wouldn’t have sent a note if I had been able to? Believe me when I say I would have if I had had the chance.”  Harry stayed silent, still not facing the older boy.

            He heard him let out a loud frustrated sigh and stand up.  “Forget it,” Lest muttered lowly.  “I’m not talking to you until you regain some of that intelligence I admired in you.”

            The cupboard door opened soundlessly and some of the moonlight from outside shined into the small room.  The shadow of the vampire appeared on the wall in front of Harry.  The door began to close, making the shadow grow smaller.  Just before the last bit of the shadow faded, the closing darkness paused.

            “Besides, Qye,” the vampire Lest said softly, “I thought you didn’t want me to come to you anymore.”  The shadow vanished into the darkness and Harry was left alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lest, you were still an ass. *facepalm*


	11. Invitation

            Lest returned the next night to Harry’s surprise.

            “What are you doing back?” he grumbled as he prepared his pallet for bed.  “Didn’t you get the message to stay away from me?”

            Lest settled on the cupboard door and gazed unconcernedly at the bustling young boy.  “Sorry, I don’t think I got the note,” he said coolly.  Harry stiffened and shot a cold glare at the vampire before resuming to get ready for bed.

            The cold and uncomfortable silence continued, the only sounds in the room being Harry’s shuffling and the rustling noises of the sheets and blankets.

            Lest couldn’t stand it anymore apparently because as soon as Harry began to lay down in his bed, he abruptly asked, “You’re still angry with me, aren’t you?”

            Harry just sent a cold look in reply.

            The vampire boy sighed and leaned more against the cupboard door, stretching his legs slightly but not enough to hit the younger boy.  “What will it take for you to stop being angry at me?” he asked quietly a few minutes later.

            “Why do you care?” Harry muttered as he burrowed into his bed.

            “Why do you?” Lest shot back, his blue eyes flaming up slightly with a bit of temper.

            Harry stayed silent.  Lest sighed heavily.  Silence reigned again for a few minutes.  It was Harry this time who broke it.

            “What were the family affairs about, Lest?” he asked timidly, his bright green eyes peering from above the edge of his blanket.  The vampire boy had never told him anything about his family except that he had a mother, father, and older sister.

            Lest stiffened slightly and shot a sharp look at Harry.  Harry winced, thinking, ‘Ok, maybe there also was a reason why he never told me about his family.’  He relaxed however when the other boy let out a sigh and slumped against the cupboard door.

            “It was just something about my future. A little over two years in my future actually.  I’m supposed to start planning now for this event, get everything ready. Fifteen is an important year for vampires.  And no,” he added when Harry opened his mouth to ask why, “I’m not going to tell you today.  I’ll tell you when it comes up.”  Harry glowered at Lest but relented and kept looking at him.

            “You’ve never told me about your family,” Harry said quietly a few moments later, still probing gently.  “I mean, you told me you had an older sister and a human mom who is now a vampire and a vampire dad but I really don’t know anything else.”  He bit his lip.  ‘Am I going too far?’ he wondered.

            “It’s okay, Qye,” Lest said absently, studying the ceiling.  “You’re right when you said I didn’t really tell you specifics about my family. But,” he said, looking down and meeting Harry’s eyes, smirking slightly, “you never asked.”

            He stared blankly for a few minutes before getting the implication.  Forgetting the previous tension between them, he glared at the vampire.  “Shut up,” he muttered, burrowing more into his blankets.  “And tell me.”

            Lest chuckled quietly for a few moments before answering.  “Well,” he said lazily, “My sister is Marylin Opacre and she’s four years older than me.” He grimaced momentarily.  “She’s…” he said slowly, “she’s…well, she’s Myn. That’s what I call her,” he added when he caught Harry’s confused look.  “I couldn’t call her Marylin when I was little so I decided on Myn. Laugh and I’ll hang you out by your heels,” he growled when Harry began to grin.

            “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Harry said in a sweet and innocent voice.  “I would _never_ laugh at your adorable little self actions.”

            Lest glared at him.  “Do you want me to continue or not?” he said irritably.

            Harry muffled his snickers with his blanket.  “Continue please,” he said in a muffled voice.

            The other boy gave him another glare before sighing and continuing.  “As I was saying,” he said, still glowering at Harry, “My sister is Myn. She’s extremely intelligent and well educated but to be frank, she’s insane.”

            “Insane?” Harry repeated.

            Lest’s lips quirked into a half-smile.  “Not the insane you’re thinking,” he said, grinning.  “She’s eccentric-insane.  Since she doesn’t have a little sister, I was usually caught when I was little and forced to be her little doll.  I’m serious!” Lest half-shouted when Harry finally couldn’t suppress his laughter.  “Stop laughing or I’ll smack you from here to Mariana Trench!”

Lest kept glaring fiercely, a light blush staining his pale cheeks as Harry thumped the floorboards near silently, tears of mirth coursing down his cheeks.  ‘Oh god, Lest playing dolls,’ he thought hysterically, trying to stop his laughter.  ‘Or better yet, him in a fluffy pink dress, complete with curls and Mary Jane shoes and a little doll in one hand and…’

            Lest flushed even more.  He took a swipe at Harry, who evaded it easily even as he laughed, and glared angrily at him.  “It isn’t funny!” he growled.  “I like to see you try and-” The vampire stopped.

            It took Harry a few moments to notice that the other boy had gone silent.  Rubbing his face to clear away the tears, he looked up and saw the older boy looking at him with a glint in his eyes.  Harry immediately lost his humor and went on-guard.  ‘What’s he up to?’ he thought warily, eyeing Lest.

            Lest just smiled pleasantly.  “Say, Qye,” he began cheerfully, “How would you like to visit my house this Saturday?”

            Harry began to laugh again, thinking it was a joke, and then stopped when he saw Lest was serious.  His grin vanished immediately.

            He stared.  “You can’t be serious,” he finally managed to say in a strangled voice.

            Lest raised an eyebrow.  “Why not?” he replied, grinning, eyes twinkling cheerfully.

            Harry’s mouth open and closed for a few minutes.  “Why not?” he said shrilly.  “Why not? Hello? I’m a human! You’re family is a bunch of vampires!”

            The other boy studied his fingernails.  “I thought we were over all those prejudices?” he said nonchalantly.

            “We are! I mean, I am.”  Harry struggled to find another reason why it was a very bad idea to go over to a vampire’s house.  He found it.  “The Dursleys!” he said, trying not to sound too triumphant.  “They’ll never let me go.  Besides, they don’t even know you’re my friend or that you visit me.”  Harry grinned victoriously.

            A grin that died at Lest’s next words.  “They don’t have to know,” he said promptly.  “I’ll take you during the night and bring you back in two hours.  They’ll never know you left the house.  And you’ll get enough sleep,” he added, as Harry opened his mouth again.

            Harry closed his mouth and frantically searched his mind for any reason why not to go.  He finally admitted defeat and sighed heavily.  “Fine,” he mumbled, “I’ll go.”

            Lest grinned widely.  “Excellent.”

            Harry swallowed.  ‘That sudden leaden feeling in my stomach is just me being dramatic,’ he thought.  ‘Right?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *squints at Lest* ....you never apologized.
> 
> (Lest) It was implied!  
> (Qye) No, you're just a jerk. Jerk.


	12. Journey to the Opacres

            True to his word – ‘Unfortunately,’ thought Harry miserably – Lest arrived early Saturday night.  Barely had the Dursleys fallen asleep – Harry could tell because the floorboards above him rumbled to their snores – than the cupboard door had creaked open and Lest had slipped in.

            Harry sighed and reluctantly got to his feet.  “Well, let’s get this over with,” he muttered and began to walk out of the cupboard door…

            …only to be roughly pulled back into the cupboard.

            “Little eager aren’t you, Qye?” Lest said, raising his eyebrow and closing the door firmly behind him.  “Relax, will you?  My family isn’t going to tear you limb from limb.”  He paused.  “Well, they won’t do it on purpose.”

            Harry swallowed.  ‘Not on purpose,’ he thought, feeling a bit sickly.  Maybe he could pretend he wasn’t feeling well and Lest wouldn’t take him.

            The vampire boy snorted and went down to one knee, putting down a bundle Harry had not noticed before.  Harry eyed it curiously as Lest drawled, “Nice try Qye but I know for a fact that you’re as fit as you’ll ever be.”

            Harry narrowed his eyes, glaring at the smirking boy.  “I thought I told you to stop reading my mind,” he growled.  “And how would you know?”

            “And I thought I told you that I wouldn’t listen,” Lest grinned, untying the knot holding the bundle together.  Harry peered closer and saw that the bundle was made up of some clothes.  He raised an eyebrow as Lest continued.  “And I just know.”

            “Oh, that explains a lot,” he replied sarcastically.   He gave the clothes another look and looked curiously at Lest.  “What are those for?”

            “You’re going to wear them,” Lest said matter-of-factly, finishing unwrapping the bundle.  Harry now saw that the bundle was made up of black trousers that _looked_ tight; a long black vest which by the looks of it, would reach below his waist; and a white long sleeved shirt with cuffs that looked like they would cover his hands.  Harry looked back up at Lest.

            “Which century did you swipe these from?” he snickered, squatting down and poking at the odd arrangement of garments.  “And what’s wrong with my own clothes?”

            Lest glowered at him for a second before huffing.  “There’s nothing wrong with these clothes,” he muttered.  “They were my own but I’ve outgrown them so I’m giving them to you.  I think they’ll fit you quite nicely.  As for why you can’t wear your clothes…” The older boy gave his clothes a pointed look.

            Harry self-consciously wrapped his arms around himself, once again reminded of the horrid hand-me-downs from his cousin.  “It’s not my fault,” he said bitterly.

            Lest grimaced.  “Bloody hell Qye,” he sighed, running his hand through his hair.  “I’m not trying to put you down or anything.  I’m just trying to make you look a bit presentable.  I know it’s not your damn fault that your relatives treat you so horribly.”  Lest sighed again and held out the clothes.  “Just put them on, will you?”

            Harry glared at Lest again and let out an angry breath.  “Fine,” he snapped, grabbing the shirt and beginning to change.

                                                                                                                       -----

            “I feel like an idiot,” Harry muttered a few minutes later.  “And I bet I look like one too.”

            Lest rolled his eyes and patted Harry’s head, making the younger boy scowl and bat the older boy’s hand away.  “Quit it,” he snapped.  “It’s bad enough I’m wearing your clothes, now I’m about to go to the house of a vampire family.”  He paused, the scowl fading from his face and a thoughtful look replacing it.

            “It’s not that bad,” Lest laughed, rummaging through his pockets.  He paused as he noticed Harry’s thoughtful look.  “What?”

            “How are we going to go to your house?” Harry asked curiously, looking up at Lest with confused green eyes.  “I mean, are we going walking or are you going to do one of your vampiric things that I don’t know about yet?”

            “What don’t you know about vampires?” Lest muttered, resuming his search through his pockets.  “You’ve practically ringed me dry about vampires ever since I gave you those books.  There’s only a few secrets I’ve managed to keep from you and I’m pretty sure you’ll find those out one day.”

            Harry smirked.  “It’s your own fault,” he said smugly.  “You gave me the books.  I just wanted some explanations.”

            Lest rolled his eyes and brought out a small envelope.  “Witty, that should be your middle name, Qye. And this,” he said, holding up the envelope, “is how we’re going to go to my house.”

            Harry stared at it.  “What,” he said, startled, “are we going to mail ourselves?”

            The vampire threw him a dirty look and grabbed his hand.  Harry immediately felt a pang of fear.  ‘What’s he doing?’ he thought panicked.

            The older boy rolled his eyes and held up the envelope.  “No,” he growled, “we’re not going to mail ourselves so don’t be a prat.”  He waved the envelope again.  “In here, there’s a quartz and as soon as I touch it, we’re both going to be transported to my home.  You’ll feel a sensation like a tug but don’t worry about it, it’s normal.”

            He stared at the other boy, blinking.  He opened his mouth to begin to call him insane before he remembered his current situation.  ‘Right,’ he thought wryly.  ‘I’m in a room with a vampire and am about to visit his vampire family.  Anything is possible.’

            Lest looked into his eyes and Harry thought he saw a flicker of apprehension flicker through them before disappearing into the vampire’s normal blue eyes.  “Ready?” he asked.

            Harry shrugged.  “I’m about to be transported by a quartz to a vampire’s home where I’m going to meet your family for two hours in these clothes.”  He paused.  “Bring it on.”

            The other boy laughed and tipped the quartz into the hand that was not grasping Harry’s.

            ‘Ah, crap.  I should have said no,’ Harry thought as he felt a tug behind his navel and his cupboard disappeared in a whirl of colors.

                                                                                                           -----

            “I don’t like that method of traveling,” Harry’s muffled voice floated from Lest’s shirt where he had crashed into the vampire.  “Can we walk next time?”

            Lest grinned and helped the dizzy boy sit up and begin to dust himself off.  “Only if you want to walk about 9,750 km, at the least,” he said cheerfully as he stood up.  The vampire boy grinned down at Harry and held out a hand for him to grasp.

            Harry accepted the offered hand gratefully and unsteadily went to his feet.  “Bloody hell,” he muttered, brushing the dirt from his clothes.  “Isn’t there a better way to travel?”

            “Not for your or my kind,” Lest replied, checking to see if Harry was okay.  After being satisfied that Harry was okay, he began to walk to the house.

            Harry blinked and looked up at the large two-story house – ‘No, mansion,’ Harry revised - looming ahead.  The exterior was a calm dark green with metallic blue balconies, the windows with gray curtains and an arc form.  He blinked again when he realized he was standing in the entrance of what appeared to be a garden maze.  Lest was already at the front door and was opening it when Harry finally came out of his assessment of the vampire boy’s home.  He hurriedly ran to catch up to the other boy.

            “What kept you?” Lest asked curiously, raising an eyebrow and opening the door.

            He shrugged.  “Just looking for possible escape routes,” he smirked.

            Lest rolled his eyes and pushed Harry into his home before following in and closing the door behind him.  Harry winced at the bright light and held up a hand to shield his eyes.  When his eyes finally adjusted to the brightness of the entrance hall, he lowered his hand.

            His eyes widened.

            There was a pair of what appeared to be marble staircases in front of him with a small platform in-between and on top of the platform currently stood a large piano.  He looked up and saw an arched ceiling, painted ivory, teal and black.  He blinked again and realized that the section painted ivory was a moon and the swirls of teal were stars with black as the background.  He frowned momentarily and touched beneath his shirt to feel the necklace Lest had given him.  ‘It’s the same picture,’ he thought uneasily.

            He shook his head and resumed studying the home.  He looked curiously at the portraits that were hung up the stairs.  His eyes widen when he saw one of them wave at him.  ‘They move?’ he thought faintly.  He shook his head.  ‘Hey,’ he thought weakly.  ‘I have a vampire for a friend, I just traveled by a quartz…anything is possible.’

            Harry walked a bit further into the entrance hall and peered around the staircases.  Behind the left staircase was a hallway that seemed to lead to a kitchen and behind the right was a hallway that led to large room.  He leaned forward and grinned eagerly, hearing Lest groan and smack his forehead in the background.  The room was full of books.

            He glanced up and immediately guessed the bedrooms were upstairs since there didn’t seem to be any other doors from the entrance hall.  He sighed and walked back into the middle, looking side to side.

            There were two doors with gold-painted door frames on either side of the entrance hall.  The door on the left appeared to be closed but the door on the right was wide open, showing Harry a nicely furnished living room.  Plump armchairs, sofas and couches were all around the room and a bright red beanbag was in front of the roaring fireplace.  On one of the burgundy armchairs sat a middle-aged woman who looked like Lest’s mother and appeared to be reading a book with a pair of reading glasses on.  She looked up as Harry looked into the room and smiled kindly at him, marking the page and setting her reading glasses aside.  She stood up and began to head out of the room.

            As she came toward him, Harry saw that she was a short, lean woman with slightly tanned skin, short brown hair that curled around her shoulders, and hazel eyes that looked kindly at him.

            “Hello dear,” she said softly, her voice kind and the type of voice that Harry always imagined a mother to have.  Her lips were curved slightly into a gentle smile and for some odd reason, Harry felt warm and content in her presence.  He smiled back at her.

            “My name is Cerena but you can call me Cere,” she continued in that same soft voice.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  Harry saw her eyes flicker over him and an amused, gentle look appeared in her eyes.  “I see Lest has given you his advice on his fashion sense.”  A brief wink that Harry was sure was only meant for him crossed her features and she laid a motherly hand on his shoulder.  “Well, I’m sure that you’re hungry from your trip here so I’ll get you some snacks.”  Cere squeezed his should reassuringly and dropped her hand, walking towards the kitchen.

            “I like your mom,” he whispered as Lest steered him into the living room.  Lest grinned at him and ushered him in.

            Harry took a closer look into the room and saw that the red beanbag was occupied with a young blonde-haired woman scribbling rapidly in a journal.  She glanced up as they entered and stopped writing as soon as she saw Harry.

            She stared.

            She squealed.

            “OH LESTIE, HE’S ADORABLE!!!”

            Harry blinked.  He heard Lest murmur smugly, “Let’s see who laughs now,” and barely had time to notice that the young woman had sapphire eyes and was noticeably older and taller than both of them before he was swept up in her arms


	13. Meet the Family

            Lest watched amusedly as Myn squealed and tugged the squirming form of Harry into her lap as she resumed her seat in her red beanbag.

            “Oh, aren’t you the cutest little boy I’ve ever seen?” she cooed.  “You have that adorable little poor orphan air around you, and that messy black hair, and those sweet green eyes” –Lest snorted; she never saw Qye glare and look nasty – “and that little pink flush on your lovely pale cheeks and that lovely, wicked scar on your forehead…I could just hug you forever!”  Myn momentarily beamed at Lest.  “You finally brought me a prettier doll than you.”

            “Myn, sweetheart, don’t overwhelm the young boy,” his mother said mildly as she returned from the kitchen with a platter of sweetbreads and fruits.  “You’re going to scare him off before we have the chance to talk with the dear.”  She smiled kindly at Harry and set the platter on the table carefully.

            Lest smirked and plucked a piece of apple from the platter.  “He can handle it,” he drawled as he chewed on it.  He raised an eyebrow at his mother when he tasted the lemon-and-honey syrup that his mother poured on fruit on special occasions so it wouldn’t spoil.  She just returned his questioning look flatly. He grinned at her.

            Lest had seen the look in her eyes when she glanced Harry over, and knew that Harry had not seen it.  He had only seen that look a few times in his life but he knew it well.  He had seen it when Myn or he were not eating right or were feeling sickly.  The minute Lest had recognized the look, he knew that his mother had taken Harry under her wing and would not allow him to continue in such an un-nutritious way.

            He really loved his mother sometimes.

            “SPIDER!”

            His eyes widened and he immediately leapt from his seat, searching out the arachnid.  “Where??” he cried out, looking frantically.  He stopped looking when he heard Harry’s snickers and Myn’s giggles.

            He turned his glare on the smirking black-haired boy who had settled down comfortably in his sister’s lap.  Harry just looked innocently at him as he munched on a piece of sweetbread.  “What?” he said around a mouthful of bread.  “You weren’t listening.”

            “That wasn’t funny,” Lest growled as he lowered himself back into his seat.  “You call _me_ a git.”  He grabbed a piece of pear and viciously took a bite out of it.  “What do you want?”

            “Me?  I just want world peace.”  Harry laughed at his low growl.  “Myn was trying to get your attention.”

            Lest raised his eyebrow at Harry before turning his gaze to his giggling older sister.  ‘He’s calling her Myn now?’ he mused silently.  ‘That was quick.  It took him almost two months to get him to call me by my name.’  He felt a small stab of…something…in his chest before he brought his attention back to his sister.

            He blinked.

            She had stopped giggling and was now smiling in an odd way, a knowing look in her eyes.  He furrowed his brow and looked puzzedly at her.

            “Jealous, brother?” she said in their language.  Harry paused in eating a second piece of bread and looked in confusion at them, not understanding the language.  The young boy shrugged and resumed chewing happily on the sweetbread as he listened to their mother talk softly about their home.

            Lest frowned and raised an eyebrow.  “About what?” he replied in the same language. It took him a moment to realize she had read his mind.

            He looked in annoyance at her.  “Quit that,” he snapped.  “And I’m not jealous.  Just because he calls you by your name on the first day doesn’t mean I’m jealous.  I could give a beast’s ass about it really.”  He slumped back into the cushions of the armchair and tore a piece of orange viciously.  “Is that all you wanted to know?”

            Myn just shook her head and continued to look at him with that irritating knowing look in his eyes.  “No, that wasn’t what I was going to ask,” she grinned.  “I was going to ask what the name was of this cute little munchkin.”

            “Why don’t you ask him?” he replied sourly.  “Surely you’re not that stupid?”

            “I love you too, Lestie,” she said sweetly but a gleam had appeared in her eyes.  Lest allowed himself a moment of satisfaction.  On the surface, Myn was all bubbly and cheerful and kind but below it…her sly and cunning mind had helped him a lot in his pranks in his younger years and her temper had saved him from numerous older vampire boys.  It took a lot for that gleam of temper to appear in her eyes.  “However,” she continued, eyes still gleaming, “he seems more comfortable when he thinks we know all about him.  You barely told us you had a Muggle friend coming over last night.”  She paused.

            “All those nights you disappeared, claiming you had business,” she said slowly.  “You were going to his house, weren’t you?”

            Oh yes, her bubbly exterior hid the intelligence and cleverness beneath.

            “Yes,” he said shortly.  “Have a problem with that?”  His eyes flashed challenging.

            His sister shrugged indifferently and continued to play with Harry’s hair.  “Not at all,” she sniffed.  “You know no one in our family are like the Dazains.”  A moment of mutual disgust and contempt passed between them.  “Anyway,” she continued after the moment had passed, “are you ever going to tell me the cutie pie’s name?”

            Lest frowned for a moment and looked down at Harry, who was chattering contently with his mother.  The young boy seemed completely at ease and it would never seem that two hours ago, he had been dreading coming here.  It would be dangerous to tell his real name since anyone – particularly a member from the Dazain family – could search their minds and hurt him.

            “Qye,” he said slowly, meeting Myn’s eyes.  Myn searched his eyes and realization that Lest was holding back something appeared in her eyes.  She looked questioningly at him and he signaled with his eyes that he would explain later.

            ‘There’s two much danger, sis,’ he thought solemnly, knowing that Myn was reading his mind.  ‘As soon as the Dazains are taken care of, I’ll tell you everything.’

            Myn nodded and looked down Harry, who had turned his attention reluctantly away from Cere when his nickname was said.

            “What?” he asked curiously as he looked back and forth between the two teenage vampires.

            Lest raised an eyebrow at him.  “What what?” he replied smoothly, falling back into the English language.

            “You said my name,” Harry said as he looked curiously at him.  “What are you saying about me?”

            “You’ve gotten a big head Qye,” he grinned and leaned forward to pat the small boy’s head.  “You automatically assume that everyone talks about you when they mention your name.”

            Harry batted his hand away and glared at him.  “Well, if they’re using my name they have to be talking about me,” he said huffily.  “Why else would my name be mentioned?”

            “You’re not the only person with that name,” he replied blandly.  “And you forget that ‘qye’ means questioner in our language.  We could be talking about a questioner.”

            “Are you?”

            “No,” Lest said offhandedly as he picked a piece of kiwi and bit into it.  “But we could be. Sod off.”

            “Whatever happened to manners?” Harry grumbled and he brushed some crumbs off of him.

            “What indeed?” a new, cool voice said from the doorway.

            Lest froze.

            He slowly turned to the doorway.

            A tall, slender man with light blond hair and serious dark blue eyes looked impassively at them with a stern air around him.  In his left hand he held a manila folder and in his right, his glasses dangled from his long fingers.  Behind him, the left door had opened to reveal a large oak desk, leather armchair and bookshelves.

            Lest swallowed painfully.  “Father,” he managed to croak out hoarsely.  “Good evening.”

            Behind him, Lest heard his sister and mother murmur greetings and he heard Harry’s small whisper of ‘Hello’ in the dead silence that had engulfed the living room.  Lest swallowed again and shakily got to his feet.

            His father, Hades Opacre, looked over his shoulder and he knew that he was studying Harry.  The silence stretched for a few minutes, where his father studied his friend emotionlessly.  Lest began to sweat and he surreptitiously wiped his palms on the sides of his trousers.  The small movement seemed to have caught the elder Opacre’s attention and his father turned his cool sapphire eyes onto him.

            “Hm,” his father said softly.  “I was not aware that you were bringing a friend over Lest.  Did it perhaps slip your mind to inform me of his coming?”

            “I’m sorry, father,” he replied near-soundlessly, his voice sounding nervous even to his own ears.  “I didn’t think you would mind and I didn’t want to disturb you since you’re so preoccupied with - ”

            “I’m not so preoccupied with work that I do not have time to give some attention to my family, Lestat,” Hades Opacre interjected softly but with power behind his voice.  Lest cringed at his father’s use of his formal name.

            He didn’t know what to say to that statement so he remained silent and standing.  He could dimly hear Harry moving uneasily behind him but he didn’t look behind him or read his thoughts.  His father would sense him using his abilities if he tried to and he didn’t think it wise to turn his back on his father in the current situation.

            His father frowned slightly, tapping the folder on the side of his thigh.  “Why don’t you come into my office for a moment Lest?” he finally said, still using his soft voice.  “I’m sure Marylin can entertain your guest while we have a little chat.”

            With that, he turned and strode to his study, obviously expecting Lest to follow him.  ‘Well, who would dare go against his wishes?’ Lest thought miserably as he followed his father, only taking a small glance behind him.  Harry was wide eyed and had his hands tightly clenched in his lap.  Myn was whispering comforting words in his ears and standing up, obviously intent on leading Harry to her room to calm his frazzled nerves.  Harry just swallowed and shakily followed her, his green eyes connecting with Lest’s for a minute, showing his terror and worry, before he turned back to Myn.

            Lest looked back at his mother.  She had not moved from her spot on the couch and she just gazed serenely back at him.  Before he closed the door of his father’s study, she gave him a small reassuring smile and he felt a moment of warmth before he was encompassed in the coldness of his father’s study.

                                                                                   -----

            “Will he be okay?” Harry asked nervously as Myn lead him up to her room.  He kept glancing over the railing of the stairs and peered at the left door but it was closed now.  He bit his lip and looked up at Myn with some worry shining in his eyes.

            “Of course he will,” Myn said dismissively.  “Father isn’t going to kill or dismember him just because he didn’t tell him you were coming.”  She paused then continued, “Well, he won’t do any injury that will be permanent at least.”

            Harry felt his eyes widen.  “Permanent?” he asked faintly as they reached the end of the hallway.  Myn smiled kindly at him and he felt his anxiety lessen slightly.

            “Yes,” she said as she opened a red door with a bronze plaque reading ‘ _Myna’_ in burgundy letters.  “Lest is his son after all.  What father in his right mind would hurt his own flesh and blood?”

            Harry remained silent as he followed her in.  ‘I wouldn’t know,’ he thought bitterly as she closed the door behind him.  ‘I just have an uncle. Would he be like a father figure?’  Harry let out a silent, humorless laugh.  ‘No, he beats me…’

            A sudden crash made him jump and he whirled around.  Myn was looking down at a broken bottle of perfume lying on her floor.

            “Sorry about that,” she murmured as she bent down to retrieve the pieces of glass.  “I guess it was slippery from my lotion.”

            Harry went over and knelt down beside her, helping her pick up the pieces.  “It’s okay,” he said, smiling slightly.  “I hope it wasn’t expensive.”  He was inwardly relieved that she had missed his dark moment.

            Myn smiled at him and stood up, placing the pieces carefully on top of her bureau.  “Not at all,” she said cheerfully.  “It was just a little thing I bought in Paris a few years ago.”  She sat him on an oak stool in front of a large mirror and began to bustle around her drawers.

            “You’ve been to Paris?” Harry asked in surprise as he watched the vampire girl move around.

            “Mmhmm,” she said absently.  “My family and I travel whenever we can.  My parents did more traveling when they were younger – hence our names – but we still manage to see some of the world at least once a year.”

            Harry tilted his head and held a brush as Myn handed it to him.  “Your names?” he asked curiously.  “What about them?”

            Myn paused in her search.  “Our names, Lest’s and mine,” she replied in an off-hand tone.  “Lest’s name come’s from the name Lestat – actually, that’s his real name on his birth certificate but he doesn’t like it so we call him Lest – who was a vampire from the stories of Ann Rice.”

            “Interview With A Vampire,” Harry said slowly as Myn resumed her search.  She paused again and looked in surprise at him.

            “Yes,” she said, surprise still on her face.  She was silent for a moment, looking curiously at Harry for a moment before shaking her head and continuing.  “Anyway,” she said, smiling slightly and looking pleased about something, “my name as you know is Marylin.  My parents and Lest both shortened it to Myn since Marylin is such a mouthful and long names are really a bother.  Well, some years ago, when Lest was…hm…four, I think, we went to London for a short trip.  I stumbled across this nice vampire novel in a Muggle shop – Dracula, you might have heard of it – and I thought it amusing for my mother to read so I bought it and gave it to her.”

            She said all this rapidly without pausing in bringing things out of her drawers.  As she took a moment to catch her breath, Harry acknowledged the talent with awe.

            “Anyway, making long things short,” she continued after taking a long breath, “my mother read it and was terribly amused when she read the name of one of the young maidens.  ‘Sweetheart,’ she told me, ‘Mina is so much like your name, isn’t it amazing? If you replaced the ‘y’ in your name with an ‘i’ and added an ‘a’ at the end, it would be exactly the same.’  Well, I liked the name – isn’t it pretty? – but I didn’t want to lose my ‘y’ so I just added the ‘a.’ I mean, ‘y’ and ‘i’ have close sayings, so it would be the same, wouldn’t you agree? Green or blue?”

            Harry nodded dazedly at the question, slack-jawed at her ability of talking so much and so rapidly that he almost didn’t catch the second question.  “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head.  “What?”

            “Green or blue?” she repeated.  “Which would you prefer?”

            “Um…” he said, still in a daze.  “Green.”

            “I agree, it would match perfectly with your sweet green eyes,” she said merrily as she placed some green make-up materials in his arms.  He blinked down at the assortment before looking up at her in confusion.

            “Pardon?”

            Myn smiled, her white teeth and extended canines glinting in the light.  “Why, Qye,” she purred sweetly.  “Why do you think I brought you to my room and locked the door?”

            Harry blinked before realizing with dawning horror that she had locked the door.  He looked fearfully up at the smiling girl.

            “Now, Qye,” she said, her eyes glinting with determination.  “If you don’t move, this will go by very quickly.”

            Harry mentally cursed Lest for not telling his father about his arrival.

                                                                                   -----

            “I’m extremely sorry for not informing you sooner, father,” Lest said solemnly as he sat in front of his father’s desk.  “I realize my mistake and I can assure you that - ”

            “What mistake?” his father said softly.  “I haven’t accused you of making any mistakes Lestat.”  Lest winced again.

            “But…isn’t that what you wanted to talk to me about?” he replied, swallowing.  “I mean, aren’t you going to lecture and punish me for bringing a Muggle into our home without informing you?”

            Hades Opacre looked expressionlessly at him.  “Do you think I should, Lest?” he finally said, still using his soft voice.  “That wasn’t my original intention for bringing you in here.  I just wished to know if the boy was trustworthy.”

            Lest swallowed again.  ‘I seem to be doing that a lot,’ he thought dimly in the back of his mind.  He shook his head and answered.  “Of course he is,” he said confidently.  “I trust him with the ways of our people, Father.”

            Hades looked at him with those serious eyes.  And then he did the oddest thing.

            He smiled.

            Lest stared.  He blinked.

            His father hardly – never would be exaggerating but not too much – ever smiled.  It was well known that Hades Opacre was true to his name’s way.  A smile from Hades was said to be a sunny day in hell.  Not that he was cruel or cold; emotions just weren’t his way.

            His father looked down at the folder and the smile fled from his face, surrendering to the usual indifferent look on his father’s face.  ‘What’s going on here?’ Lest thought uneasily as he shifted in seat uncomfortably.

            “The night is getting late, Lest, and the boy is no vampire,” Hades said abruptly, looking up from the folder and staring at Lest with dispassionate eyes.  “You best return him home before his family begins to worry.  Or have you told them as well?” his father asked softly.

            “No sir,” Lest murmured.  ‘And fat chance of them worrying,’ he thought sarcastically.  Then he remembered his father could be reading his mind and looked up quickly.

            Hades seemed to have already lost interest and had his glasses back on, writing on the papers from the folder.  “You’re dismissed,” he said absently.

            Lest let out a relieved sigh and stood up.  “As you wish Father,” he said quietly and silently left his father’s study.  He took one last look at the writing figure of his father before closing the door.

            ‘I wonder why he smiled,’ Lest mused as he rapidly went up the stairs to save Harry from whatever Myn was doing to him.  ‘Does he approve of my friendship?  Or is it something else?’  He pushed the thoughts away for later consideration when he reached Myn’s closed door.  ‘Better not appear worried or Qye’ll be crawling up the walls,’ he thought as he opened the door.

            He stopped in the doorway.

            He stared.

                                                                                   -------

            “You’re a complete and utter arsehole, Lest,” Harry snarled as they sneaked back into his cupboard.  “And stop laughing!  It wasn’t funny!”

            ‘I dunno,’ Lest thought to himself, silently laughing.  ‘The look on your face was pretty entertaining.’  He had walked into his sister’s room to find the room in shambles, brushes and some of his old clothes strewn all over the place and Harry and Myn right in the middle of it.  Myn had been extremely reluctant in giving up Qye, now that she had found the make-up and clothes to match him.  But the terrified and pleading look on Harry’s face convinced Lest to drag the poor boy away from his disappointed sister.

            “Course not.  I _told_ you it wasn’t,” Lest snickered as he followed the scowling boy in.  “But you didn’t believe me.”

            “I didn’t say that,” growled Harry as he began to shimmy out of his clothes.  “But you had no right to laugh while your sister did that.  And you had no right leaving me with her!”

            Lest rolled his eyes.  “I didn’t have much of a choice.  I like to see you say no to my father.”

            Harry paused in changing to his nightclothes.  “How _did_ that go, by the way?” the black-haired boy asked uneasily, looking up at him.

             Lest grinned.  “You don’t have to worry about him tearing your throat out, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

            Harry glared at him but the relief shown clearly in his eyes.  He settled down into his cot and yawned.  “Thanks for taking me, Lest,” Harry mumbled sleepily, closing his eyes.  “It was…interesting, meeting your family.  Your clothes are folded right there, by the way.”

            “Keep them,” Lest said, putting the clothes in the panel where he knew Harry hid his prized possessions.  “They don’t fit me and they were a gift to you.  You’re welcome by the way.”

            There was no answer and Lest peered at Harry.  The seven-year-old boy was sound asleep.  Lest smiled and brushed a stray lock from Harry’s face.

            “Night Qye,” he whispered and silently left the cupboard.


	14. Christmas Gift

            “People are stupid,” Harry muttered a couple of days into December.  He was glaring – as usual – at the ceiling, with his hands behind his head and Lest in his usual spot against the cupboard door.

            Lest raised an eyebrow.  “What makes you say that?” the vampire boy asked, a tinge of surprise in his voice.

            “Nothing in particular,” Harry muttered, still glaring at the ceiling.  “Just…it’s really stupid how much people care about what other people think of them.  They do things, stay away from people, act in certain ways…everything they do is so people will think slightly better of them.  It’s stupid.”  He turned his gaze to the other boy.  “Like I said, people are stupid.”

            Lest returned Harry’s gaze, looking curiously at him.  “What brought this up?” he asked quietly.

            Harry lowered his eyes.

                                                                                                           ~~~~~~

_“Thompson!” the captain of the blue team called.  A brown-haired boy next to Harry shuffled forward, eyes downcast and purposely not looking at him._

_Harry’s face hardened.  ‘Does he think I’m angry at **him** because I didn’t get chosen?’ he thought furiously.  ‘What does he take me for?  I don’t care, it’s just stupid gym class.  Not like I got cut from a team I was trying for.’  What happened next, though, managed to stab him in the heart slightly though._

_“Damn it, Patterson, you left me Potter!” barked Barker, captain of the red team.  “What kind of friend are you?”_

_Patterson shrugged.  “Sorry Barker but there’s no way I was going to choose Potty Wotty.  You know Dursley -” he stopped abruptly, then continued.  “You’ll have to deal with it, mate.  You got Jackson so that should even Potter’s crappy ability.”_

_Barker sneered.  “Five good players aren’t going to even out what midget over there is going to mess up.”_

_Patterson opened his mouth and Harry saw the objection in his eyes.  But he didn’t say it.  What he said instead was, “Guess you’re right, mate.  Sorry about that.  I’ll treat you to some of my mum’s cookies at lunch for every mess-up Potty does.”_

_By the time the class was over, Harry had made a homerun and caught five balls, causing the red team to win.  Instead of congratulating him though, Barker shoved him in the dirt for striking out once and the blue team all kicked dirt into Harry’s face as they walked by._

_‘Thanks Dudley, you’re the best cousin an orphan can have,’ Harry thought sarcastically as he coughed from the dirt._

                                                                                                                       ~~~~~~

            “Qye?”

            Harry blinked as Lest’s voice broke through his memory of earlier today.  “Sorry,” he muttered.  He turned back on his back and stared at the ceiling.  “Nothing in particular brought it up,” he said quietly, still staring at the ceiling.  “I was just thinking about it earlier today and I thought it might be along the lines of the ‘conversations’ that you wanted.”  He forced a grin on his face and looked at Lest.  “You always say we don’t have enough of those.”

            Lest looked back at him, a thoughtful look in his eyes.  Harry purposefully kept his mind blank so the 13-year-old vampire wouldn’t be able to gleam anything from his mind.

            Lest snorted abruptly and a dry smile came onto his face.  “You’ve known me way too long, Qye,” he laughed softly.

            Harry tilted his head, confused.  “What makes you say that?”

            Lest laughed again.  “Well,” he drawled, “you know when to not think around me now so I can’t find things out from you.”  The teenage vampire laughed again when Harry playfully glared at him.

            “Well, I wouldn’t have to do that if you would just quit reading my mind, you git,” Harry grumbled good-naturedly.  “It’s a bloody pain in the arse, trying not to think.”

            “Well, you could always think so I can read your mind,” Lest said innocently.  Harry tried glaring at him but it just broke into a grin they both shared.

            Harry was amazed how Lest and he got even closer after he visited the vampire’s family.  Ever since that first meeting – there had been many more after that one – the tension between the both them seemed to have dropped considerably.  Not that they didn’t glare or snarl at each other once in a while but most of the time it was done in good humor.  The few times they really did mean the anger never lasted long and were far in between.

            “Myn, what are you doing here?”

            Harry snapped back to reality and sat up, looking frantically around for a hiding place before he noticed that Lest was snickering.  He narrowed his eyes and balled up his fist, hitting the vampire in the shoulder.

            “You jerk!” Harry snarled as Lest fell over laughing.  “That wasn’t funny!  I almost had a heart attack!”  He hit the other boy again when he didn’t stop laughing.  “Shut up!”

            “I didn’t realize Myn had made you so paranoid,” Lest managed to choke out while laughing.  “The look on your voice…” Lest collapsed into laughter again.

            Harry continued to glare at Lest while fighting the rising blush on his cheeks.  Ever since their first meeting, Myn had continued to ‘play’ with him whenever he would visit.  Part of him was terrified every time he went to meet her since he didn’t know whether or not he would have to run and hide in order to escape from being turned into a doll.  Another part of him loved the times he had Myn (when she wasn’t trying to dress him up) because she had become like an older sister to him who he could go to in order to be hugged and given affection.

            Myn had also helped improve his relationship with Lest.  While Lest had at first been part of the enemy in the game of ‘dress up’ because of his “helpful” suggestions to Myn, the vampire boy’s side quickly changed after Myn began to reminisce.  Dressing Harry up began to remind her of the times she used to dress Lest up – she had photos, which Harry had cracked up and Lest had glowered and blushed on seeing – and she decided to revive dress-up with Lest.

            Needless to say, Lest quickly became a great ally in finding spots to hide from Myn.

            Harry continued to glower at Lest until he stopped laughing, fingering the emerald and sapphire ring Myn had given him on his eighth birthday. (When he received the ring, Lest had one of his few and rare moments of being absolutely dumbstruck since the ring was apparently one of Myn’s most valued possessions.  It had warmed him greatly when Lest had told him that but he had been a bit confused as to why Lest seemed somehow downcast when he opened Lest’s gift of a scarlet scarf.)

            Lest let out a few more snickers while Harry continued to glower at him.  ‘Jerk,’ he thought.  ‘Don’t know what you’re laughing at since Myn does it to you too.’

            Lest stopped laughing and returned Harry’s glower.  “Shut up,” the vampire boy muttered, turning slightly pink and Harry smirked.

            “That’s what you get for reading my mind,” he replied smugly.

            Lest rolled his eyes and resumed his original position of sitting against the cupboard door.  “Yeah, yeah.  Whatever,” Lest drawled.  Then he blinked and groaned, smacking his forehead, causing Harry to jump in surprise.  “Damn, I almost forgot.”  The teenage boy looked at Harry.  “I was wondering if you wanted to spend your winter break at my house.”

            Harry blinked.

            …

            He blinked again.  “Come again?”

            Lest rolled his eyes.  “Your winter break starts next Friday right?”  Harry nodded slowly, still slightly shocked and confused by the vampire’s request.  “Well, instead of spending it here with these idiots and having an unmerry Christmas and New Year, I was wondering if you wanted to spend it with me and my family.”

            Harry stared.

            Lest raised an eyebrow.  “Why are you looking at me as if I were insane?”

            “Are you sure you’re not?” Harry asked carefully.  At other boy’s bewildered look, Harry rolled his eyes and felt some depression press down on him.  “Lest, I would love spending the holidays with you and your family.  But how the hell am I suppose to get away from my own for those two weeks?  They don’t know about you, remember?  And I don’t think they would take too kindly to you if you revealed yourself to them.”

            Lest sighed in relief.  “Is that what you’re worried about?”  He snorted and patted Harry on the head, which caused Harry to growl at and push the older boy’s hand away.  “You idiot.  Forget so soon about certain little techniques I have?  Like telepathy?”

            Harry’s eyes widened.  ‘Oh, well that would help,’ he thought, feeling embarrassment creep up on him slowly and beginning to push the depression away.  Then embarrassment itself was roughly pushed away by confusion.

            “Lest,” he said slowly, “I thought you weren’t allowed to use those techniques until you came to age?”  He looked quizzically at the other boy and felt depression returning.  ‘Damnit Potter,’ he thought glumly, ‘do you have to find a problem with everything?’  He mentally sighed.  Having a bitter childhood kind of destroyed looking at anything without finding fault with it.

            “Don’t worry about it, Qye,” Lest grinned.  “It’s taken care of and I promise I won’t get in trouble.”

            “I find that very hard to believe,” Harry murmured under his breath.  Lest just grinned in reply.  Harry rolled his eyes.

            Lest once again patted him on the head.  “Quit worrying or you’ll have gray in your hair before your time,” the older boy said cheerfully.  Harry smirked.

            “If I don’t have gray now, I’m not likely to get any anytime soon,” he snickered.  ‘Having a vampire for a friend is a good way to become immune to white hairs,’ he thought cheerfully.

            Lest blinked, looking confused and Harry snickered again because he knew the other boy had read his mind and not understood.  A moment later, Lest looked at him with an annoyed look in his eyes.

            “Ha ha, it is to laugh,” Lest said sarcastically as Harry continued to snicker.  “Honestly, it’s going to be a hell of a two weeks with you.  I should have said no to Myn.”

            Harry stopped snickering and tilted his head at Lest, puzzled.  “She was the one who suggested you stay over for the break,” Lest explained.  “Practically begged me this past weekend, never knew she could be so annoying.”  Lest blinked.  “What’s the matter with you?”

            “Nothing,” Harry muttered, flopping down on his bed.  “Can you go now Lest?  I’m feeling kind of tired.”

            Lest looked at him, slightly worried but nodded reluctantly.  “Alright,” he said slowly.  He got up and silently opened the cupboard.  “Night Qye,” he said.  He got no reply.

            As the cupboard door closed, Harry hastily and angrily scrubbed a lone tear from his face.

                                                                                                                                   -------

            “What do you mean you can’t go?” Lest asked in a startled voice the night before winter break began.  “We’ve already got a room set up for you and everything.  Why in the name of all that’s holy can’t you go?”

            “I just can’t,” Harry snapped from beneath his blankets.  “I can’t go.  So leave it alone.  Sorry I made you go through all that trouble for nothing.”

            “It’s not trouble,” Lest growled, moving closer to Harry and tugging at his blankets, which the younger boy held close.  “I – _we_ – want you to come.  And I know you want to so how come you’re saying no?”

            Harry growled but the older boy just kept tugging at his blankets.  ‘Damnit Lest,’ he thought furiously.  ‘Leave it be!’

            “I’m _not_ going to leave it be until you tell me _why_ you’ve decided to say no!” Lest half-shouted, finally managing to pull the blankets from him.  Harry snarled wordlessly at Lest but the vampire just met his glare with his own.  ‘Damn bloody stubborn bloodsucking git!’ Harry thought furiously, hoping Lest was reading his mind.  His wish seemed to come true as the other boy’s face darkened but before Lest could say anything, Harry spoke up.

            “Why the hell do you care that I’m not going anyway?” Harry snarled.

            “Because…” Now Lest seemed to struggle with himself.  He shook his head and glared at Harry.  “I want a good reason why you’re not going after you said you would.  I’m not leaving until you tell me why the hell you’re not coming!”

            “Leave it alone, Lest!” Harry half-shouted, shooting up from his cot and glaring heatedly at the vampire, whose blue eyes were burning.  “I can’t go so stop bugging me about it!”

            “I will when you give me one good goddamn reason as to why you’re not coming!”

            “Burn me!  You just won’t leave it alone, will you?!” Harry shouted, shaking.  “Why the hell do you care?!”

            “ ** _Because I want you to go!_** ” Lest snapped finally.  “Alright?! Is that what you wanted to hear?!  I want you to come to my house and spend a nice holiday with me and my family instead of with these damn relatives of yours who don’t know half your worth!  I want to know why the hell you don’t want to go when you’re better off with me than these pigs!”  _That_ put a halt to Harry’s anger for a moment.

            “I didn’t say I didn’t want to go,” Harry muttered, slightly reeling from the fact that Lest cared for him.  “I just said I couldn’t.”

            “Well, why the hell _can’t_ you go?” Lest snarled, not noticing Harry’s slightly dazed expression.  Lest’s tone of voice brought Harry’s temper back up and his eyes flashed.

            “Fine!” Harry half-growled, half-snarled.  “You want to know why I can’t go?!  Fine!  The Dursleys are leaving, all right!  They’re going to Majorca and I’m going to stay stuck for the entire winter break at a batty old woman’s house and if the Dursleys caught any hint that I was gone or if anything funny happened, they wouldn’t think twice about doing some _permanent_ punishment!”

            Silence reigned.

            Above Harry’s cupboard, the floorboards creaked.  ‘I hope we haven’t woken them up or I’ll have to worry about that punishment sooner than expected,’ Harry thought dimly in the back of his mind as he stared at Lest’s expressionless face.

            “Is that the only reason why you won’t come to my house?” Lest quietly after a few minutes had passed between them and no noise had come from above.  ‘Thank god they’re heavy sleepers,’ Harry numbly thought as he laid back down on his cot, curling up into a small ball, all emotion drained from him.

            “I think it’s reason enough, don’t you?” Harry mumbled, averting his eyes from Lest’s and staring at the dusty floorboards.  He heard the vampire boy sigh and run a hand through his hair.  ‘Would’ve been nice if I could go,’ Harry thought glumly, not caring if Lest was reading his mind or not.

            “You’re really an idiot sometimes,” Lest muttered and Harry chanced a look at him.  The older boy didn’t look angry anymore but rather a bit exasperated and relieved.  Harry raised a questioning eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes.

            “Just because you’re changing caretakers doesn’t mean I’ve lost my abilities,” Lest said dryly.  “I just have to alter them a bit.  I’ll make it so this ‘batty old woman’ won’t remember having to take care of you for the entire break.  Then I’ll bring you back a day before these damn relatives of yours return and make her think you’ve just been very quiet all break.  Simple.”

            Harry stared at him, his hopes – try as hard to repress them – rising slightly.  “Can you do that?” he asked, some of his hope seeping into his voice.

            Lest smiled slightly and patted his head.  Harry, for once, didn’t push his hand away but continued to look at him with wide eyes.  “O ye of little faith,” Lest murmured.

            Harry closed his eyes and buried his face in his ragged blankets.  “Thank you,” he mumbled, his throat and chest feeling tight.  Lest just patted his head again.

                                                                                                           -------

            “Now who can that be at this time of hour?” Mrs. Figg, the batty old woman, wheezed as she left Harry and her photo album of cats.  Harry watched with some apprehension as the small old lady disappeared down her hallway, heading to the front door.  ‘Is that - ’  Harry didn’t manage to finish the thought as a strangled cry came from the front door.  He leapt to his feet without thinking, dropping the album, and sped to the front door.

            A dark figure, framed by the moonlight, had a small figure in its arms.  Harry froze for a moment, uneasily wondering what it could be.  Then a familiar voice made him relax.

            “Qye,” came a slightly breathless voice, “if you don’t mind, could you perhaps help me with this small-but-not-so-light woman?”

            Harry snickered slightly as he walked over to help the struggling vampire.  “What, the big bad vampire can’t pick up an itsy bitsy human all by itself?” he laughed.  Lest just glowered at him as they moved the unconscious Mrs. Figg over to the couch she and Harry had been sitting on just a few minutes ago.  The smile vanished from Harry’s face and he looked worriedly at her.

            “Ah, Lest,” he asked hesitantly.  “Just what _did_ you do to her?”  The old woman looked pale and her breathing was deep and slow.  Lest carefully laid her out and put the fallen album on the table next to the sofa.

            “Nothing life threatening,” Lest said dismissively.  “She’ll be ok as soon as she wakes up though she’ll be a bit foggy.”  Harry turned from looking at Mrs. Figg just in time to see Lest shove something violet in his pocket.  Harry raised his eyebrows at Lest.  Lest just looked flatly back in reply.  Harry mentally put it on his list to ask the vampire about later.

            “So, do you have your stuff?” Lest asked, running his right hand through his hair, his left still in his pocket, possibly clutching whatever that violet thing was.  Harry nodded and went to the armchair that held his small, moldy and battered knapsack, picking it up.  “Excellent,” Lest said briskly, bringing out an envelope from his pocket.

            Harry eyed the envelope warily.  “Please tell me we’re not going to your house using that stomach-tugging-thingy, _again_ ,” he said, grimacing.  Lest grinned.

            “Don’t know any other way,” the vampire said cheerfully.  “We could always walk those thousand kilometers if you want, though.”  Lest laughed when Harry grumbled and dragged his feet over to the laughing boy.

            ‘I _hate_ traveling this way,’ he thought sourly as he grasped the vampire by the arm.  Lest just chuckled and Harry gave him a silent glower.  Then he closed his eyes as something tugged him behind the naval and the cat-smelling house disappeared in a swirl of colors.


	15. Confusion and Mates

             “I is free, I is free!” Harry crowed gleefully when Lest came over on his last day of school.  He was grinning widely and bouncing on his cot, looking extremely pleased with himself, not to mention a little relieved.  Lest raised an eyebrow.

            “Lose more of your sanity today?” inquired the blond vampire as he settled down, staring at Harry bemusedly.  ‘What’s got him so happy?’ Lest thought, watching the eight-year-old smile happily at him.  Usually when he came to visit the boy was either annoyed with something or the other, or hurt and trying to cover it up with sharp words and sarcastic remarks.  The teenage vampire had never seen him look happy when he came through the cupboard door but Lest made sure he was before he left through the door.

            Instead of glaring or scowling as his usual response to Lest’s teases, Harry merely stuck out his tongue and grinned more.  “Nope,” the young boy said cheerfully, settling down a bit and beaming at the vampire.  “Today probably constituted as one of the best days of my life because I never have to see the cow’s, a.k.a. Mrs. Furan, face again.”  Harry grinned.  “Not to mention I got her back for the hell she’s put me through this year.”

            Lest smiled slightly, knowing how much Harry disliked the blonde teacher that seemed to dislike him even more after the “blue-haired incident” that he had told the vampire about.  “Dare I ask?” Lest grinned back.

            Harry’s smile grew broader and a wicked gleam entered his green eyes.  Leaning forward, he began to whisper about all the horrid things he had done to her hair accessories and how she would only find out after she put them on.  Lest leaned closer, listening and laughing occasionally as the young boy told him about a particular trick he had done to an often-used accessory.  His mind, however, was dimly thinking about how he and the black-haired boy had become closer.

            ‘I certainly never expected this type of relationship when I approached him,’ Lest thought in the back of his mind as he laughed at Harry’s pranks on his unsuspecting ex-teacher.  ‘I thought it would only last a couple of weeks, maybe some months…has it really been almost four years since I’ve met him?  It feels like just yesterday he was threatening me with me with a ‘stick up the arse,’ as he so subtly put it.’  Lest grinned more. ‘Not that he doesn’t still do it…’

                                                                                   ~~~~~~

            _Lest was calmly reading one of his textbooks in the library when Harry burst in, slamming the door behind him and leaning against it, breathing heavily.  Startled, Lest looked up to see what was the matter…_

_…and bit his lip to keep from cracking up.  Harry had rogue, eyeliner and what appeared to be shiny pink lip-gloss while his hair had bows in it.  What made it more ridiculous was the fact that he had a pink sweater half on while having on a t-shirt underneath and jeans._

_“If I hear so much as a **cough** from you Lest,” the young boy said in a deadly snarl, glaring at the boy vampire whose shoulders were shaking from suppressed mirth, “I’ll stick a damn stake up your bloody arse.”_

_Lest coughed._

                                                                                   ~~~~~~

            “SPIDER!”

            Lest didn’t bat an eyelash.  He just glared at the grinning green-eyed boy.  “You know the story of the boy who cried wolf, don’t you?” he growled, crossing his arms and looking mock-sternly at the younger boy.  Harry just grinned and shook his head.

            “Nope,” he said cheerfully.  “Maybe you should tell me?  Like a bedtime story?”  He grinned even wider.

            Lest eyed him.  “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked bemusedly.  “I’ve never seen you this…active…before.”  He paused.  “Well, except when Myn was chasing you with her paints and doll’s clothes.”  That wiped the grin off Harry’s face, replaced by a pout.

            “Shut up,” he muttered, crossing his arms and leaning up against one of the walls of his cupboard.  “And you run just as much as me.”  Lest rolled his eyes and raised himself to his full sitting height.

            “I don’t always run,” he said smugly.  “I, unlike you, rebel against the grief that Myn puts us through. So…” He stuck out his tongue at the younger boy, making him laugh.  He smiled and his mind wandered again.

            ‘I’ve grown so affectionate,’ he though as he watched Harry laugh at his childish antics, which he only performed for him though he doubted the boy knew it.  ‘Two years ago, I would have scoffed at someone sticking out their tongue – especially at my age! – but now…I do things that I would never have done before.’  Lest was confused.  He didn’t know when his attitude began to change.  And what’s more, he didn’t know why he felt so strongly for his companion.  And he knew he did.

                                                                                   ~~~~~~

            _Lest looked up at the knock on his door.  He glanced at his clock and blinked.  ‘It’s 3:45 in the morning,’ he thought as he put down his book and walked to his door.  ‘Who in the world…Myn is with Mother at a girls’ gathering, Father is at a Council with the other heads and Harry - ’_

_Harry was right outside his door._

_Blinking in shock, Lest looked at the boy who was looking down at his shuffling feet, dressed in some of Lest’s old nightclothes and not looking at the teenager._

_“Harry?” he asked softly, and a little worried. When the boy didn’t answer, he furrowed his brow and felt even more worried. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?  It’s late.”_

_“I couldn’t sleep,” Harry muttered, still looking at his feet.  “I mean, I was asleep but the night - ” He stopped before he could finish.  Taking a deep breath, he looked up and slightly frightened green eyes that were trying to be brave met Lest’s.  “Can I sleep with you?” the young boy whispered, a slight blush growing on his pale face._

_Taken aback, Lest stared at wordlessly at the child.  The silence grew and the blush grew more on Harry’s face.  He looked down and mumbled, “M’sorry, I’ll go back to my room now.”  He turned to go and Lest snapped out of his stupor._

_“No, wait, Qye,” he said, grabbing one of the boy’s arms.  Harry turned around, still looking at the ground.  Lest pulled him into his room.  “You can sleep here if you want.  I have no problem with it.”_

_Harry raised his eyes from the ground, the emerald orbs growing in shock before relief and gratitude filled them.  He opened his mouth but Lest pushed him towards his bed._

_“I hardly sleep at night,” the vampire said gruffly, pushing Harry onto his bed.  It was a pure lie.  Lest had been just about to go to bed when the black-haired boy had knocked…but Harry wasn’t going to know that.  “You can take my bed.”  The young boy protested but Lest could see the fatigue in Harry’s sleepy eyes and he quickly overrode the resistance._

_Once Lest made sure Harry was tucked in and sound asleep, he settled back in his armchair, picking up his book but not opening it.  Instead, he stared at the sleeping boy.  ‘You were going to say nightmares,’ he thought, studying Harry’s peaceful sleeping face.  ‘What scares you so much in those nightmares that you come to **me**?’  For some reason, the thought that Harry had come to him for comfort from the nightmares warmed him.  Of course, no one else was home but still.  Lest continued to study the younger boy for a few more moments before sighing and opening his book._

_Lest made sure Harry slept peacefully that entire night._

                                                                                                                  ~~~~~~

            “Are you on this planet or what?”

            Lest blinked.  Then he yelped when he noticed that Harry’s face was mere centimeters from his own, the twinkling green eyes staring into his own.  He scrambled backwards, breathing heavily, as Harry snickered.

            “Don’t do that,” Lest wheezed, clutching his chest.  Harry snickered more.  “What the hell is the matter with you? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

            “Oh, I stopped trying years ago when you wouldn’t die,” Harry said cheerfully.  “And I’ve been like that for about a minute and you just barely noticed when I spoke.”  The smile faded and Harry looked quizzically at Lest.  “Something wrong?”

            “Besides green-eyed midgets trying to scare me to death?” Lest muttered under his breath.  He ducked a swing from Harry, his lips twitching as he tried to force back a grin.  “I’m fine, thank you.  Can’t a person think?”

            “You can think?” quipped Harry.  Now _he_ ducked a swing from Lest.  “Sorry.”  He tilted his head and looked curiously at Lest.  “What were you thinking about?”

            Lest shrugged.  “Nothing big.  Little things that randomly burst into my head.”  He glanced at his watch and sighed regretfully.

            “You have to go?” Harry asked before Lest could open his mouth.  He nodded and the green-eyed boy sighed, looking a little regretful himself.  “Okay then,” Harry muttered, laying on his cot and watching Lest as he stood up and dusted himself off.  “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

            Lest nodded and shot a quick smile at Harry before exiting.  After closing the door, he waited outside for a few minutes, reading Harry’s mind and making sure that his thoughts would lead him to pleasant dreams.  Then he reached into his pocket and went home.

                                                                                                                                   -------

            Weeks passed and Harry greeted Lest with a “Happy birthday, you damn nosferatu git” on July 31.  Lest replied with a “Happy birthday to you too Qye, you bloody annoying brat.”  As Lest closed the cupboard door, Harry noticed that the blonde vampire seemed a little depressed.  Before he could comment on it though, Lest handed over a silver wrapped and red tied present.  Harry handed over his own brown wrapped present before he eagerly opened his gift.

            Lest’s gifts were always amazing and never ceased to awe him with their magical qualities.  This year’s gift was no exception.  As he finally pulled away the last of the wrapping, a black notebook with gold-trimmed paper was revealed, along with a tawny quill that’s tip was a dark green.  As Harry watched, the dark green changed to a midnight blue, then to a blood red, a bright orange, a sky blue and finally stopping on a calm purple.

            “The ink changes to the color of whatever the writer wishes it to be while that notebook never runs out of paper but always manages to keep the same size,” Lest said quietly, still unwrapping his present.

            “Where in the world do you get all these things Lest?” Harry asked curiously, noting that the vampire still seemed to be depressed about something.  He also noted that at his question, Lest seemed to tense up and look slightly uneasy.

            “Someplace,” Lest replied evasively.  The teenager’s eyes widened when he finished unwrapping his gift.  Harry looked proudly at his gift, pleased he could give something to his friend that wasn’t a trinket or cheap-looking.  The choker was made out of interlocking steel circles that felt as soft as silk but as hard as diamond.

            “Qye,” Lest said in a hushed voice, still looking shocked at the necklace.  “Where on earth did you get this?  And how the hell did you pay for it?”

            “The Dursleys give me pocket money sometimes when they’re in an extremely good mood,” Harry said. “I’ve been saving it up and I was looking through a store while Aunt Petunia was with Dudley, trying to find trousers big enough to fit him for school.  This clerk girl came up to me and shook my hand, blushing.  After I stared at her – she’s the bloody _3rd_ person to do that this week! - she blushed more and asked me if I wanted anything.  I wasn’t going to say anything but I saw that and I remembered Myn telling me you that you always wanted a choker.  I first thought I couldn’t afford it but the clerk girl asked me how much I had.  I apparently had enough so I bought it and she wrapped it for me.”

            Lest was silent, still staring at the choker in his hand.  ‘Doesn’t he like it?’ Harry thought, his pride at finding a good enough gift beginning to fade into nervousness and embarrassment.  ‘I thought he would like it…’

            “I do like it,” Lest said, lifting up his head and giving a small smile to him.  “Stop being such a worrywart, Qye, it doesn’t become you.”  He unclasped the choker, put it around his neck and reclasped it.  Harry was relieved to see that the choker was apparently a perfect size.

            “So you do like it?” he asked happily, forgetting to scowl at the vampire for reading his mind.  Lest nodded, still smiling a small smile and Harry grinned.  His grin faded however when he saw that depression was deep in the other boy’s eyes.  He frowned and leaned forward.  Lest raised an eyebrow but Harry was determined to find out what was bothering his friend.

            “Alright, spill Lest,” Harry growled, looking intensely at the older boy.  “What’s wrong?”

            Lest opened up his mouth, obviously to deny anything wrong but Harry just gave him a look that said ‘give up, you’re not leaving until you tell me’ and he sighed.  “Do you really want to know?” the vampire muttered, leaning against the door of the cupboard and closing his eyes.  Now that he wasn’t hiding his feelings, Harry saw that the other boy looked complete tired and upset, drained emotionally.

            Harry scooted closer to the boy, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them while looking at Lest.  “Tell me Lest,” he said quietly.

            The older boy was silent for a few moments then he sighed again and opened his eyes.  Harry reeled as he saw how much bitterness and misery lay in the tired blue eyes of his friend.  ‘What could cause him this much pain?’ Harry thought as he stared into the defeated eyes.  Then he felt a surge of anger at the cause.  ‘I’ll kill whoever did this to him, vampire or no.’

            “My 15th birthday is next year,” Lest murmured, breaking eye contact with Harry.  “I won’t be able to be here because I have to - ” - his lips twisted as if tasting something foul – “ – I have to bond with my mate.”

            “What?” Harry asked, shocked.  He felt a flash of…something…but he quickly ignored it and looked at Lest.  “What do you mean mate?”

            “Don’t you know what ‘mate’ is?” Lest asked.  Harry looked at him in annoyance.  “Right. Sorry, forget who I was talking to.”  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  “Well I have to bond with one next year.  Every vampire goes through this process when they find the one they want to be with.  In my case, I have to do it at fifteen for three reasons.  One, I’m from a leading family of vampires – don’t ask Qye, I can’t tell you a thing about it unless you’re a vampire or part of the family by marriage.  Two, I’m the eldest son which means it’s my ‘duty’ to preserve the line so I _have_ to have a mate.  And three…I come from a very traditional family and Father would kill me if I didn’t perform this damn ceremony.  Literally.”

            Harry swallowed.  ‘And I thought Uncle Vernon was strict,’ he thought weakly, looking at Lest who had closed his eyes and leaned his head against the door.  He swallowed again then asked, “Why at fifteen though?  Isn’t that a bit…um… _young_?”

            “Glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks so,” Lest muttered, not opening his eyes.  He sighed and raised his hands to rub his face tiredly.  “I don’t know why at fifteen.  It’s something about the genetics.  Myn should know.  I really don’t care why…it just is.”  He was a quiet for a moment.  “I really don’t want to go through it,” he murmured.

            “Can’t you, I don’t know, divorce or something?” Harry asked hopefully, trying to find a way out for the dispirited vampire.  Seeing Lest look so miserable…it just wasn’t right.

            Lest gave a bitter laugh.  “It’s permanent.  When a vampire bonds…it’s like a wolf.  You bond for life.  Even if your mate dies, you can’t replace them.”

            Harry stared at the floorboards.  ‘This isn’t fair,’ he thought dully.  He felt another flash of something go through him but he was too out of it to know what it was.  He didn’t know of a way to get Lest out of this.

            “Do you already have a mate then?” he asked quietly after a few minutes of silence, still looking at the floorboards.

            “No, not yet,” Lest said softly.  “I have to start looking for one soon.”  The vampire looked at Harry.  He must have been radiating distress because Lest asked in a lighter voice, “Do you know any girls or guys who want to bond a vampire for life?”

            Harry jerked his head up, eyes widening.  “Guys?” he squeaked.

            Lest’s eyes narrowed slightly but he nodded.  “Yes, a mate can be male or female.  It doesn’t matter because the bond makes it so that the mate – if bonding a male vampire – is able to…ah…reproduce.”  At Harry’s shocked look, he shrugged.  “Don’t ask me how, it just does it somehow.  Of course, the mate has to be living.  A vampire can’t mate with another vampire.”

            Harry’s head spun but he managed to get another question out.  “But your mum’s a vampire.  How can she and your dad be married if she’s a vampire?”

            “A mate can become a vampire after the ceremony but not before,” Lest explained.  “Again, don’t ask, I have no clue.  All I know is that after mates get turned, they receive all the privileges of being a vampire rather than just the partial ones that come with being a mate.”

            “Privileges?” Harry asked in a dazed voice, trying to absorb all the information.

            Lest nodded.  “A mate of a vampire gets some of the abilities that a full vampire gets.  They have quicker reflexes, move faster, some telekinesis and a limited amount of telepathy as well as quicker healing.  There might be more but that’s all I know.”

            Harry shook his head and rubbed his temples, trying to digest all this.  “With all those benefits,” he muttered, “I can’t see how hard it is to find a mate.  Anyone would jump for a chance like that.”

            “That’s the problem,” Lest sighed.  “They want the benefits, the power…they don’t care about the vampire…about me.”  The blond looked dismally at the floor and murmured, “If I have to go through this, I want to be with someone who wants to be with me and doesn’t give a damn about what the extras are.”  He barked a mirthless laugh.  “Might as well wish that I don’t have to go through this.”  He glanced at the time and sighed, getting up.

            “Time to go?” Harry asked quietly, looking up at the older boy.  Lest nodded.

            “I’m sorry I brought you down on your birthday, Qye,” he said quietly.  “I shouldn’t have told you.”  Harry scowled up at him.

            “What kind of friend would I be if I let you down on your birthday?” Harry said indignantly.  Lest smiled slightly.

            “I hope my mate is someone like you Qye,” Lest said.  Then he sighed and walked out, obviously still miserable.  As the door closed, Harry looked thoughtfully at the vampire.


	16. Leavetakings

            As Aunt Marge hit him with the fire poker for beating Dudley again at musical chairs, Harry thought sarcastically, ‘What a holly jolly Christmas.’

            It was December again and Aunt Marge was on one of her famous visits to Privet Drive.  She had brought along her bulldog Ripper who was currently eyeing him with a hungry look and Harry made a mental note to bar his door tonight.

            “BOY!” barked Aunt Marge and Harry jumped.  He blinked and noticed that everyone was staring at him in contempt and disgust.  He must have spaced out because Aunt Marge said, “Didn’t I tell you there was something wrong with his head, Petunia dear?  You should really take my advice about hitting him over the head with a bat or something, Vernon, or the boy’s absentmindness is just going to get worse and worse.  No, no, it’s best to knock some sense into the small head of his or he’ll begin to walk all over you.  Of course, he’ll never be like my neffie-poo, Dudley, here - ” – she pinched his cheeks and he smiled his fat smile, holding out his hand to receive the money – “but who can?”

            “Who would want to be a pig in a wig?” Harry muttered under his breath.  “I’ll stay to my own species, thanks.”  Unfortunately, Aunt Marge seemed to have heard because she turned red, her mustache bristling.  Harry was already up and running to the door when she shouted, “RIPPER! SIC!”

            ‘Damn hag,’ thought Harry furiously as he ran faster, the bulldog snarling at his heels.  ‘Bloody bitch, no wonder she gets along with dogs.’  He rounded around the coffee table and leapt over the sofa, stumbling out of the patio door with the vicious bulldog still on his heels.  He could feel the dog’s hot breath on the back of his legs; feel the foaming saliva dripping on his heels.

            ‘Burn me,’ Harry thought frantically as raced around the garden, trying to escape the bloodthirsty beast.  ‘When the hell are they going to call it off?’  He risked a glance behind him – and it was a glance because Ripper took that small slowing to nip at his ankles, ripping off some of his pant leg – and saw that there was no one…

            …no one to call off the dog from killing him.

            ‘Oh god,’ he thought, feeling his stomach fall and slowing down more, allowing Ripper to bite off some of his other pant leg.  ‘They’re not going to call him off…they’re going to let him attack me…kill me…there’s no one to stop him…oh my god…please…’

            Harry pumped his legs faster, running towards an old oak tree in the garden.  Maybe he could be fast enough to climb it…

            An arm struck out from behind the tree and grabbed Harry.  He opened his mouth to scream but a hand was placed on his mouth while the other arm pinned his own arms to his sides by wrapping itself around him and pulling him towards a warm body.  He froze.

            ‘Oh god, as if this couldn’t get any worse,’ he thought in a panic.  He heard the dog’s snarls grow louder as it headed towards him.  ‘Maybe Ripper will take this person down and that’ll distract him enough for me to go up the tree.  Two birds with one stone.’

            Ripper came bounding from around the tree…

            …and ran away whimpering from a hiss that sounded next to Harry’s ear.

            “Damn dog,” a familiar voice growled next to his ear.  “A coward and a beast.   And you call me a monster, honestly.  At least I don’t run away whimpering when I see Myn.”  The hand was removed from his mouth and Harry breathed deeply.

            “Lest?” he asked in a hushed whisper.  He squirmed to turn around and the arm trapping him loosened, then fell – almost reluctantly it seemed – to Lest’s side.  Harry turned and looked up in surprise at the vampire boy.  “What are you doing here?” he hissed.  “If the Dursleys catch you…”

            Lest snorted and leaned against the tree, crossing his arms.  “You’re welcome Qye,” he said sarcastically.  Harry blushed but still looked worriedly at the older boy.  The blond rolled his eyes.  “Oh come on, Qye, do you think I’m stupid enough to let them see me?”

            “Maybe,” Harry muttered and Lest glared at him.  He smiled sweetly then turned back to the house and sighed.  “I better head back or they’ll get suspicious and then I’ll be in big trouble.”  He looked at Lest.  “Will you’ll be here later?”

            Lest nodded then looked at the house, scowling.  “I swear by the name of Opacre,” he muttered darkly, “I’m going to get your relatives back one of these days.”

            “Just don’t kill them and let me watch,” Harry joked.  Lest looked at him and a small grin flitted on his on his face.  Harry inwardly sighed.  His friend rarely smiled nowadays and it got rarer as the days went bye.  He was afraid of what might happen to those smiles after the ceremony.  He sighed and began to trudge his way to the house.  He paused and turned around, looking curiously at Lest.  “By the way, what did you do to Ripper to make him run away like that?”

            Lest straightened up to his full height, dropping his arms, and looked at Harry with hooded, smoldering eyes that screamed hunger for blood.  The moon made them shine and the tousled blond hair seemed to glow in the darkness.  He bared his teeth, revealing his fangs to their fullest extent, the moonlight making them glow a bright white.  From his throat he hissed, the garden making it echo.

            …

            “Is that it?” Harry asked, blinking.

            Lest stared.  “What do you mean, ‘is that it?’” the teenaged vampire asked stiffly.  Harry’s lip twitched.  The older boy looked very indignant and he guessed he must have bruised his ego with his remark.

            Harry shrugged, lips still twitching.  “You weren’t that scary.  Maybe you were right…Ripper is a huge coward to run away from that.”

            “Bugger off!” Lest snapped, folding his arms and leaning against the tree in a huff.  As he walked back to the house, Harry silently snickered as he heard the vampire growl darkly under his breath.  ‘Aw, did the big bad vampire’s scary ego get a wittle bwuised?’

            Harry heard Lest’s curse at him perfectly.

                                                                                   -------

            “You know, if your act as a terrifying monster of the night doesn’t work out you can always try out to be a clown,” Harry snickered later that night when Lest came through his door.  The Dursleys had finally retired for the night and he waited for the vampire in his cupboard.

            Lest gave him a flat look.  “That’s the thanks I get for saving your life and lightening up your night, is it?” he sniffed, settling down.

            “Lightening up my night?” Harry asked amusedly.  “Is that what you call your antics?”  Throughout the evening, as Harry fought to keep from laughing in front of his relatives, the teenager had mocked the Dursleys, making faces and pretending to do things to seriously hurt them.  Harry had almost broken a rib when Lest made a horrid face at Ripper, who happened to be looking out the window, and had jumped into Aunt Petunia’s lap, causing her to scream shrilly and drop coffee on her new salmon dress.  While everyone was fussing over the stain, Lest had given the dog an evil look, causing the dog to pee and be left outside for the rest of the evening.

            “Weren’t you laughing?” the older boy asked, raising his eyebrow.  Harry mock-glared at him, puffing out his chest.

            “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Harry said innocently.  They both grinned and Harry felt a moment of pleasure at being able to bring some happiness to the older boy.  It faded with Lest’s grin, who suddenly looked very miserable and regretful.  Harry looked worriedly at him.

            “Lest?” he asked softly, looking at him.  The vampire sighed and looked down at the ground.  Then he looked up, a forced grin on his face.

            “I have some good news for you, Qye,” he said in a fake cheerful voice.  Harry seriously doubted the news would be pleasant but he kept silent.  The vampire kept on his false grin and said, “You’re going to have vampire-free nights until the beginning of July.”

            Harry stared at his falsely grinning friend.  “What?” he asked flatly, not bothering trying to help the vampire with the semblance of joking.

            Lest’s grin faltered then fell entirely from his face.  The vampire sighed and slumped against the door of the cupboard.  “I’m sorry,” he murmured, staring down at the floor.  “I have to look for possible mates and my father is booking me practically every night until the beginning of July with candidates.  It’s not like I have a choice.”

            Harry stared down at the floorboards, the feeling of something he always felt when Lest mentioned his mate stabbing him repeatedly.  “So you still haven’t found one, huh?” he asked hollowly.

            Lest shook his head.  “I’ve looked everywhere I could but I…there’s no one I want to be stuck with the rest of my life out there.”  He let out a humorless laugh.  “My father says if I don’t find one by the beginning of July, he’ll force me to take the heir of the Malfoy family.”  His lips curled.  “ I really don’t want to be stuck with that arrogant little brat.”  He looked at Harry and tried another smile and stab at humor.  “He’s worse than you.”

            Harry didn’t say anything.  ‘I’m going to be alone,’ he thought dully, staring but not seeing the floorboards.  ‘Lest isn’t going to come back at nights.  I’m going to be stuck with the Dursleys until July.  But what about after?  Lest’s mate might not like me.  Maybe they’ll stop him from seeing me.  And I’m going to be alone.’  The floorboards blurred and he blinked rapidly.  ‘Damn it…Lest, you bloody git, why did you have to make me like you?’

            Warm arms wrapped around him, pulling him close.

            Harry froze.

            “What makes you think anyone can make me do something, Qye?  No one will stop me from coming back.  I’ll miss you too much,” the vampire Lest said quietly in his ear, holding him gently in his arms.  He held Harry like he was a porcelain doll, arms gently wrapped around him.  All Harry could see was the door, his head next to Lest’s.

            Harry wanted to tell him off for reading his mind again without consulting him but his throat was too tight.  Harry wanted to tell him to let go of him because he might bite him but he just stayed in the vampire’s embrace.  Harry wanted to tell him the he was a complete and utter git, why would he think that Harry would miss him but he knew it was a lie and stayed silent.  Harry wanted to tell him…

            “I’m going to miss you too,” he whispered, laying his forehead on the vampire’s shoulder and closing his eyes tightly.  “Promise you’ll come back, Lest.”

            “By the goddess of Hélène and name Opacre,” Lest said solemnly in his ear, “I promise you I’ll come back.”

            Harry threw his arms around the vampire boy and hugged him tightly.  “You better you damn, bloody, irritating vampire,” he whispered fiercely.  “Or I’ll stick a stake up your arse.”  Lest chuckled and hugged him harder.  The remained like that for a few minutes then, reluctantly, separated.  Harry felt a blush come upon his face and he noticed that Lest’s pale face was flushed slightly too.

            The older boy cleared his throat and asked gruffly, “Do you still have that necklace I gave you a while back?”  Harry’s blush faded and he looked confusedly at the other boy, nodding.  He reached into his secret compartment, rummaged around, and pulled out the pendant.

            Lest smiled slightly and reached a hand under his shirt, pulling out an identical necklace.  Harry blinked, then glared at the vampire.

            “I knew there was something extra about this necklace that you weren’t telling me,” he said accusingly, closing the compartment.  He looked down at his own necklace.  “Spill, Lest, what’s with the necklace?”

            “It’s called the Opacre Pendent actually, Qye,” Lest said, still smiling slightly.  “And there are a lot of extras about it but I’m only going to tell you one.”  He put on his own necklace then took Harry’s and shuffled to put it on.  Harry raised a quizzical eyebrow.

            “Which is…?” he probed as he bent his head to let the vampire boy put the necklace on.

            “It communicates feelings with its pair which, as you may have noticed, I have,” Lest said absently, clasping the necklace on.  “If you have it on and you’re feeling, I don’t know, depressed or something, I’ll be able to feel it.  Then I’ll be able to project my own feelings to you and that’ll perhaps cheer you up something.  Or if you’re just wondering how I’m feeling, hold it in your hand and you’ll feel what I’m feeling, which is most likely going to be annoyance because a bunch of these candidates are what give blonds a bad name.”  Harry snickered and Lest smiled.  He shuffled back – almost reluctantly again – and said, “It’ll only work if you have it on though.  And if you don’t feel me, it’s because I’ve taken it off.  That’s not likely to happen though, unless I’m taking a shower.”

            Harry picked up the pendent and looked at it curiously.  Hesitantly, he grasped it and blinked when he felt something emanate from it.  Contentment.  Depression.  Worry.  Regret.  Hopefulness.  Resignation.  Curiosity.  He looked up and looked at the other boy, who was looking at him with a blank face.

            He smiled and dropped the pendent.  “Thanks.”  Some unnoticed tension left the other boy, who smiled slightly at Harry.

            “You’re welcome.”  Lest looked at his watch and from his resigned expression, Harry knew he had to go.  The blonde vampire looked up and Harry smiled at him.

            “Good luck, Lest,” he said softly.  Lest looked at him, a forced smile on his face.  Harry watched as the vampire opened the door and stood out.  Harry watched as the older boy exited his cupboard.  Harry watched as the boy looked uncertainly at him before sighing and raising his hand in farewell.  Harry watched as the cupboard door closed behind his first and only true friend.

            Then Harry fell on his cot and let some of his tears fall as the loneliness overwhelmed him.


	17. Unexpected Revelations and Offers

            Harry stared at his cupboard door, rubbing the pendent on his necklace nervously.  ‘He said he would be back the beginning of July,’ he thought uncertainly.  ‘He didn’t say the very beginning though.  Maybe he meant the first week?  Or maybe he’s not coming at all…’ Harry felt his anxiety grew and he shook his head, pushing away the worry.  ‘No,’ he thought firmly to himself, chastising himself for thinking such thoughts.  ‘He promised he would be back.’  Harry rubbed his pendent again, not feeling anything.

            It was July 1st and school had been out for almost two weeks now.  But that really didn’t matter to him.  He had finished school as one of the top students in his classes.  But that wasn’t at all important.  The Dursleys had left him alone for some months now, sensing no resistance from the blank boy in the cupboard under the stairs.  But he didn’t care.

            What _mattered_ , what was _important_ , what he _cared_ about was that Lest should come tonight and keep his promise.

            And if he didn’t, the gods help him once Harry saw him again and gave him a piece of his mind.

            He rubbed the pendent again, this time a little irritated.  He still felt nothing from the pendent, unlike all the other times he had held it since December.  Since Lest had left, he often held the pendent in his hand and gained comfort from the other boy’s feelings.  Even though most of the time the emotions were annoyed or irritated, he enjoyed knowing that he could feel the vampire’s feelings.  And he enjoyed it even more when Lest responded to his probes, whether with a teasing feeling or annoyance or contentment. Or anything.  Sometimes he felt Lest’s curious, teasing or sometimes fretful probes when he was in the middle of class but instead of becoming annoyed, as he normally would have, he responded to them joyfully.  It brightened his day, knowing that Lest wondered about him at least once a week.

            But right now, he was very irritated.  The feelings that normally emitted from the pendent were missing, which meant that Lest had taken the necklace off.  He couldn’t feel anything from it and his worry and anxiety were slowly turning into annoyance and anger.

            ‘I swear to God,’ Harry seethed as he scowled at the door, ‘when he walks in here, I’m going to slowly cut him up to pieces, put a stake up his arse, roast him slowly…’

            “Maybe I shouldn’t come in, yes?” an amused voice said from behind the door.  Harry jerked, eyes widening, as the cupboard door slowly opened and in came the longtime unseen vampire…

            …who was thrown back out again as Harry hurled himself at him…

            …hugging him.

            “Qye!” Lest gasped as he stared down in shock at the young boy who was hugging him tightly.

            “Hi Lest,” Harry said in a muffled voice as he hugged his missed friend as tight as he could.  ‘I’ll kill him later,’ he thought, rejoicing in the fact that he had his friend back.  He felt the older boy’s arms go around and hug him back gratefully.

            “As much as I like this welcome,” the vampire boy said amusedly, “maybe we should go back into your room in case your relatives come down here.”

            “They’re asleep,” Harry replied but he got off Lest and tugged him into his room, closing the door.  He sat down on his cot and watched the older – and taller, he noticed – boy sit down.  “So how did it go?” he asked promptly, once the vampire boy was settled.

            Lest raised an eyebrow.  “Hello to you,” he said sarcastically.

            “I gave you my hello,” Harry said dismissively, still looking at the vampire.  “How did it go?” he asked again.

            “Straight to the point, aren’t you?” the older boy muttered.  Harry just continued to stare expectantly at him so he sighed and leaned against the door.  “In a word, horrid.”

            Harry winced.  Lest grimaced and nodded.

            “They all either wanted power or were just plain idiots,” Lest said, closing his eyes.  “I could barely stand talking to them for a minute, let alone spending the rest of my life stuck with them.  I swear to god, even you would have killed them.”

            “I don’t know,” Harry said, smiling slightly.  “I don’t try to kill you anymore, do I?”  The vampire opened one eye to glare at him and he chuckled.  “Sorry.”  He sobered quickly and looked worriedly at his tired friend.  “So you have no mate?”  Lest nodded, eyes still closed and looking even more desolate.  Harry chewed his lip and asked, “So what’ll happen?”  He swallowed.  “Will your dad still…um…”

            “My father was just as disappointed as I was with the candidates,” Lest replied easily and reassuringly without opening his eyes.  “The only one that was even remotely good enough was the Malfoy heir, and like I said, I would rather die than be stuck with that brat for the rest of my life.”  He sighed and opened his tired blue eyes, looking completely miserable.  “They’ve given me another week to find someone but if I don’t…”

            “What’ll happen?” Harry asked quietly when the blond fell silent.

            “The Dazains will take over,” he said in a hollow voice.  “My family will step down as a leading family and those bastards will take over.  And I can’t let that happen.”

            Harry looked worriedly at him.  “Dazains?” he questioned softly.  The other boy didn’t reply and he let the question drop.  He studied the vampire.  Lest looked incredibly tired, drained beyond his ability.  He also had an extremely depressive air around him and Harry was afraid of what might happen to him if he didn’t manage to find a mate.  Harry swallowed and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, “Does age matter?”

            Lest shook his head, eyes closed and not seeming to catch Harry’s change of voice.  “No,” he said tiredly.  “Some of the candidates were almost a year old.  God knows why they give babies up as candidates.  I wasn’t about to accept any of them though.  That family was just going to manipulate the kid to try and use the power.  That’s all it is to all the candidates, the chance for rare power.”  He gave a bitter laugh.

            “I don’t want power,” Harry said in a quivering voice.  Lest stilled and opened his eyes slowly, staring at him with disbelief in his eyes.  Harry was terrified, giving up his freedom…but Lest was his friend.  And he would never have anyone else.  ‘Not to mention you hate the fact of anyone taking Lest from you,’ a small voice said in his head and he quickly pushed it away.  He swallowed and took a deep breath.

            “Take me.”

            The silence stretched.

            “Are you out of your mind?” Lest said in a low voice, still staring at him with disbelieving eyes.  “Do you have any bloody idea what the hell you’re asking for?”

            “I’ve had six months to think about this, Lest,” Harry said calmly, only a slight quaver in his voice to show his nervousness.  “You said it yourself, you want someone like me for a mate.  And since you haven’t found anyone else in your search…I’m the only way, Lest.”

            “Are you fucking mad?” Lest said sharply, straightening up and looking at Harry angrily.  “You have no bloody idea what the hell you’re getting if you bond with me.  Once you’re with me, you’re stuck.  You’ll never have a chance at being with anyone else!  Is that what you want?!”

            “I don’t have anyone else but you right now, Lest,” Harry said, still using his calm voice and looking patiently at the furious vampire.  “And with the way the Dursleys are raising me, I’m not going to have anyone else.  You – and your family – are the only ones I care about.”  He stopped and let some uneasiness show.  “I’m not afraid of being bonded for life.  But…maybe you want to be with someone with else later on?”

            “Vampires don’t change mates, I told you that,” Lest muttered distractedly, running a hand through his hair.  “We bond for life and stick with it, not looking at anyone else.  But you’re not a vampire, Harry!”  Harry flinched, both at the use of his real name and the furious look the vampire was giving him.  Lest growled, “You’re a bloody human, your emotions can change.  What happens if someone comes along, someone you want to be with and you’re stuck with me? Huh?  Once bonded, you can’t go with anyone else.  Is that what you want?”

            “Lest,” Harry growled back, his eyes flashing with irritation.  “ I just told you, there’s never going to be anyone else.  Not now, not ever.  Why the hell are you resisting?”  He stopped and wilted slightly as a new thought came to him.  Looking down at the floor, he asked quietly, “Unless you don’t want to be with me anymore?”

            “Christ, Harry, that’s not it!” Lest said in a frustrated voice, raising a hand to run through his hair.  “I - ”

            The hand froze halfway up.

            Harry heard a shocked “Oh my god” and looked up at Lest.  He blinked.

            The vampire boy had a shocked and horrified look on his face, his blue eyes wide and staring at nothing.  Harry’s brow furrowed and he touched Lest’s arm.

            “Lest?” he asked worriedly.

            The other boy continued to stare wordlessly at nothing before coming out of it.  He blinked and stared at Harry.  The horror in his eyes grew.  Harry grew even more worried.  Before he could say anything though, the vampire stood up quickly and fled out the door, leaving Harry staring in bewilderment after him.

            “Lest?” Harry repeated softly, confused by his friend.

                                                                                                                       -------

            “Lest?” Myn asked softly, walking closer to her younger brother’s bed and sitting down on it.  She looked worriedly at her brother’s curled position and laid a hand on her brother’s back.  She felt a shudder run through him and he curled up even tighter.

            Her brother had her worried.  He had come running through the front doors, too early from his visit to Qye, and had not even said a word to her or Mother.  Worried, she reassured her mother and had come up to find out was wrong only to find him like this.  Rubbing his back like she used to do when he was younger, she waited patiently for him to confide in her.

            Minutes passed, her still rubbing his back and him still curled up, when he finally spoke.

            “I’m a terrible friend, Soror,” Lest whispered, still curled up.  Myn’s worry increased.  Lest only called her Soror, “sister” in Latin, when he was really upset.

            “What’s wrong, Frater?” she asked gently, using her equivalent of “brother” in Latin.  Lest said nothing for a few moments then uncurled and shuffled toward her, not meeting her eyes.  Myn moved her hand from his back to his hair when he laid his head in her lap.  He buried his face in her skirt.

            “I should have never told Qye about this entire damn thing,” he said in a muffled voice.  “I should have made something up, kept him out of this.  I’m such an idiot.”

            “Sometimes,” she said, smiling slightly and stroking his hair.  “But not in this.  Qye would have been hurt if you hadn’t told him.  And he would find out. Our little Qye is too smart to not find out.”

            “Please don’t tell me his good attributes right now,” Lest’s muffled voice said.  “I don’t think I can handle that right now.”

            Myn’s brow furrowed.  “Why?” she asked, puzzled.  Lest didn’t say anything and she sighed quietly.  “What happened?” she asked quietly.

            Lest was silent then sighed and clutched her skirt tightly.  “I told him I couldn’t find a mate,” he said and Myn heard how tired he sounded.  She felt a momentary flash of anger at her father and the families for putting her baby brother through all this but she quickly pushed it down.  Now wasn’t the time for negativity.  “I told him how much I wished my mate would be like him and how I needed to find one.  And…he offered himself.”

            Myn’s eyes widened.  Lest wasn’t done though.

            “I tried talking him out of him.  He didn’t know what he was getting himself into.”  Lest’s hand tightened more on her skirt.  “I gave him so many reasons for why that was the stupidest thing to do but he just kept arguing, telling me - ” He stopped and took a deep breath.  “I told him he would find someone else and he asked me if I didn’t want to be with him.  And…” Lest’s voice broke off and Myn heard him take a muffled shuddering breath.  She didn’t stop stroking his hair.

            “And what, Frater?” she probed gently.  He was silent for another moment.

            Then he whispered, “I love him.”

            Myn’s hand didn’t stop stroking.  “You just barely figured it out tonight, did you?” she murmured gently.

            Lest sprung up and stared in shock at her.  She just smiled gently at him as he gaped at her.

            “What do you mean, ‘I just barely figured it out tonight’?” he said shrilly.

            Myn folded her hands in her lap.  “Brother, I’ve known you’ve loved Qye since the minute you brought him into this house.”

            Lest continued to gape at her.  “I don’t mean a brother’s love, Myn,” he said after he managed to regain some of his composure, which he lost again when Myn nodded.

            “I know, Lest,” she said calmly.  “You care about him for more than a brother or friend would.  I’m not surprised you just figured it out.  You always were a little dull when dealing with emotions.”

            Lest opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head.  He dropped his head into his hands and whispered, “What am I going to do, Myn?”

            “You’re going to accept Qye’s offer, of course, and deal with what comes after.”

            Lest’s head snapped up when she told him to accept and he stared at her incredulously.  “Are you mad?” he snarled.  “He’s just a kid, he doesn’t know what he’s committing himself to!”

            “I think you and I both know that Harry is more than just a kid, Lest,” Myn said dryly.  “And I think he knows what he’s committing himself to.  He’s older than his age, Lest, I think you can trust his decisions.”

            “I’m not accepting!” Lest snapped, his eyes flashing.  “I won’t do that to him.”

            Myn shrugged.  “You want to leave him with his relatives, watch him grow up abused and give himself over to someone else who will hurt him intentionally, making him believe that they love him?  Because that’s what’s going to happen, brother of mine.  All that abuse is going to twist his idea of love.  And if it doesn’t, are you willing to watch him become happy with someone else, forgetting about you?”

            Lest stared down at his coverlet then looked up and met her straight in the eye.  “You’re horrid, Marylin,” he said quietly, his blue eyes looking accusingly at her.  “The guilt trip, the jealousy…I won’t forgive you if he gets hurt because of this.  And I’ll do my best to make your life a living hell.”

            “And I’ll let you,” she replied quietly.  Her brother sighed and collapsed on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

            “I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” he said dully.  “Maybe I can convince him to take back his offer.”

            “Good luck,” she said and stood up, smoothing her skirts.  “You’ll need it to change his mind.”  With that, she left his room.

            Once outside, she collapsed against one of the walls and stared at a painting, watching it with tears in her eyes.  ‘Are you happy now, Father?’ she thought viciously as she watched the vampires fight over a terrified human.  ‘Are all of you families happy now?’

                                                                                                                       -------

            Harry was already in his cot when Lest came in.  The boy jerked and blinked, staring in shock as the vampire knelt down beside him.

            “Lest?” Harry asked in confusion.  The older boy was studying him with an odd look in his eyes.  Harry met his eyes uncertainly.

            “Are you sure you want to do this, Harry?” Lest asked him quietly, his blue eyes glowing with a strange intensity as they looked into Harry’s.

            Harry opened his mouth to ask him what he was talking about but then he closed his mouth.  He knew what it was about.  Meeting Lest’s eyes firmly, he nodded and Lest closed his eyes.

            “Do you know what you’re giving up?” Lest asked wearily.  “You’re going to be stuck with vampires for the rest of your life, you won’t be able to go with anyone, you’ll have to - ”

            “I know what I’m getting involved with, Lest,” Harry interrupted.  “And it’s okay.”  The vampire boy sighed again and looked at him.  “You can always say no, you know,” Harry said quietly.

            “I know,” Lest replied just as quietly.  “But I’m not going to.”

            Harry blinked.  Then his eyes widened as he realized what Lest meant.  Some unknown weight lifted from his heart and he breathed out a sigh of relief.  “What made you change your mind?”

            “A lot of things,” the teenager sighed, sitting down next to Harry’s cot.  “Myn being one of them.”  Harry made a mental note to thank the vampire’s sister later.

            “Lest?”  The older boy looked down at him.  “Why did you run out yesterday?”

            For a moment, the blond boy said nothing, just looking at him with something new in his eyes.  Harry met his eyes evenly, wondering what the other boy was thinking.

            “I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Lest finally said.  He smiled when Harry pouted, and proceeded to change the conversation to something else.

            And for some odd reason, Harry was happier than he had ever been before that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, Lest. Aw, Qye. Aw, Myn.
> 
> ...yeah, all those repercussions. For everyone who said poor boys...fun times ahead.


	18. Calm Before the Storm

            “Are you sure they won’t wake up?” Harry asked nervously as Lest came down from altering the Dursleys’ minds.  “I mean, they won’t figure out something’s different?”

            Lest sighed patiently but Harry could see the offended look in his eyes.  “For the last time, Qye,” the vampire said through gritted teeth, “They won’t remember me doing anything to them.  All they know is to leave you alone for 24 hours and when that’s done, they won’t remember doing so.”  He glared at the worried boy.  “Have some faith in me, will you?  I’m not about to mess on something this big.”

            “Want to bet?” Harry muttered as he watched the older boy search through his pockets for their means of transportation.  He smiled sweetly when the blond gave him a dirty look and sighed when Lest found the opal.

            “I really, really hate traveling this way,” Harry growled, scowling at the opal.  “Are you sure there isn’t another way?”  Lest just looked amusedly at him and he sighed.  “Fine,” he grumbled.  “Let’s get this over with.”  He put a finger on the at the same time as Lest and muttered, just before he got the tug behind his navel, “Next time, let’s walk those 9,750 km, shall we?”  Lest’s laugh was the last thing he heard before the Dursleys home disappeared in a swirl of color.

                                                                                                                       -------

            “QYE!” Myn squealed joyfully as she rushed to him as he and Lest walked in through the door.  She picked him up, ignoring his protests, and swung him around gleefully.

            “Lest! Help!” he yelled as he hung on to Myn as she swung him around in circles.  “Get your mad sister off me!”

            Myn giggled and put him down before Lest could move.  She smiled sweetly down at Harry and said happily, “I’m going to be your big sis after this night is done Qye-doll!”  Harry groaned and looked at an amused Lest.

            “You know, I’m beginning to reconsider my decision,” he said mock-mournfully to the grinning vampire boy.  He returned the grin at Myn’s indignant squeal.

            “Ooh, for that I’m dressing you up in pink, Qye!” Myn said huffily and scooped him up again.  Harry yelped and struggled down to get out of her embrace.  He sent a pleading look to Lest but the blond boy just smiled innocently and followed his sister with his hands in his pockets.

            As Myn plunked him down on one of her dressing chairs, he tried to escape but she held him down firmly, singing a nonsense song as she tied him to the chair using pink and green ribbons.  Harry glowered at Lest as he walked casually into the room, locking the door behind him and settling himself down, cross-legged, on his sister’s bed.

            “I’ll kill you if she makes me look like an idiot,” Harry growled at the grinning vampire while Myn sang as she looked for clothes and make-up.

            “She begged to dress you up for the Blood Commitment,” Lest snickered, his blue eyes dancing with laughter.  “Who am I to disobey my older sister?”

            Harry glared at Lest for a moment longer than sighed and slumped in his chair.  “So I’m going to wear a dress and ribbons to what?” he asked grumpily, watching Myn dance around her room happily in her search.

            Lest laughed.  “She wanted to but I got Mother on my side so rest assured, you won’t be wearing a dress.”  His grin widened.  “Now a skirt…” He laughed again when Harry threw him a horrified look.  “I’m only joking.   She promised she would make you decent-looking in front of the rest of the guests.”

            Harry stared.  “Guests?” he repeated blankly.  “What guests?”

            Lest just smiled and laid down on his side, propping up his head on his head.  “Myn,” he said in a singsong voice, causing Harry to shudder in disgust.  “Myn, sister of mine, tell dear Qye here what a Blood Commitment is.”

            Myn popped up beside Harry, causing him to jump in the chair.  Her arms were laden with different types of clothes and paints.  He eyed both her and the things in her arms with an uneasy look.

            “Aw, Lestie, haven’t you told Qye-doll what it is?” Myn mock-scolded her younger brother while putting the things down.  “Maybe I need to dress you up too.”  Harry smirked when he saw the other boy eye the door out of Myn’s room with consideration.

            “Well, Qye, soon to be brother of mine,” Myn said as she began to sort out the clothes into different outfits which – to his immense relief – didn’t look _too_ bad, “a Blood Commitment – my god, what a mouthful, I really think we should give it a shorter name and alright, Lest! I’ll finish the explanation though I don’t know why – okay, okay! Put down my bear! Anyway it’s the ceremony where a vampire bonds with its mate.  The head of the vampire’s family performs the rites and the vampire and mate share blood to complete the magic of the rites.  That’s basically all it is, the acceptance of the mate into the family of the vampire.  Of course, the higher the family is in rank, the more elaborate the ceremony.  Since Lestie here is the only son of the head of the Opacre family not to mention – what Lest? Oh, I see. Never mind that, Qye, not important.  Anyway, it just means that a lot of prestigious families are going to come here to see the ceremony.  Dark red or green Qye-doll?”

            “Green,” Harry said dazedly, still unused to Myn’s rapid form of speech.  He managed to catch the slip-ups of Myn though and while she tossed away the red outfits and fretted over the dark green ones, he eyed Lest who was looking flatly back at him.  ‘What are you hiding from me, Lest?’ he mused silently.  ‘And why?’  The vampire boy broke his gaze, causing Harry to blink, and picked up a magazine from the floor, idly flipping through it.  Harry continued to look at him though.

            “AHA!” Myn shouted triumphantly holding up an outfit.  Harry gave Lest one last considering look before turning to look at Myn.  And blinked.

            The outfit consisted of shiny, dark and loose dress pants with a vest that seemed to be made up of the same material with dark green embroidery of stars and crescent moons.  The shirt was an extremely nice forest green color and the material appeared to be silk, the cuffs of the shirt looking like they would be longer than his hands.  Harry took a look at the dark green leather boots and hoped they were broken in or his feet would be killing him by the end of the night.  Overall, Harry thought that the outfit was possibly one of the only good ones that Myn tried to put him in.

            Harry hoped it wouldn’t make him look like a ponce.

                                                                                   -------

            “I knew it was perfect!” Myn squealed after Harry stepped out of her bathroom to show off his outfit.  “The black does wonders for your skin and the green makes your eyes show up!  Now for make up…”

            “Absolutely not, Myn,” Lest said flatly, who was refusing to look at Harry.  When he had stepped out of the bathroom, Harry saw Lest staring at him with an odd look on his face.  When he caught the vampire’s eyes, the older boy seemed to be uncomfortable and shot his sister a withering look before staring down at the floor.  It confused Harry.

            ‘Am I that bad looking?’ Harry wondered, looking down at himself while the brother and sister vampires argued.  ‘Odd, I thought it was a good outfit.  A little expensive, sure, but nice.  Maybe he doesn’t like green…’

            Harry looked up and saw both of them still arguing.  He rolled his eyes and plopped himself down on the carpet.  “So, who’s going to laugh at my outfit?” he asked loudly.  The vampires gave a start and turned to look at him, blinking in confusion.  He grinned and rolled his eyes again.  “In simple words, who’s coming to this ceremony?”

            “Why didn’t you just say that?” Lest muttered, and threw himself onto Myn’s bed again.  Harry just smiled sweetly at him and the vampire boy rolled his eyes.  He held up a hand and began holding fingers as he ticked off names.  “The Latvians, who are long time supporters of the Opacre family; the Taines, who are cousins of ours - I think – from the Americas; Jeaneyls, who represent the lower ranks of the vampire families in Europe; the Hastais, who represent the middle class of the families; the Zabars, from the Latin countries I think, who are old time allies of ours…”

            “Don’t forget the Dazains,” Myn said from her chair, where she was applying some rogue.  Harry blinked when Lest jerked up into a sitting position, his blue eyes widening in shock and anger.

            “What the hell do you mean the Dazains are coming to the ceremony?” the blond vampire barked.  “Who gave them permission?”

            “Father,” Myn replied calmly, peering into her lipstick case.  “You know he’s been trying to settle this for a while now and he hopes this ceremony might be an opportunity to calm the Dazains about the so-called favoritism we seem to have,” she sniffed.

            Harry raised an eyebrow as he watched the older boy fume silently on Myn’s bed and Myn look contemptuous.  “Who are the Dazains?” he inquired.

            Lest opened his mouth, obviously meaning to not tell him but Myn beat him to it.

            “The Dazains are old rivals – or rather, archenemies – of the Opacres,” she replied swiftly.  Lest threw her a dirty and angry look but she merely raised an eyebrow at him.  He scowled and laid back down on her bed, obviously not pleased about something.  Harry watched the exchange with confusion but before he could ask anything, Myn continued with her explanation.

            “The Dazains and Opacres lead very different lifestyles, which has caused a lot of the fights between are families.  They prefer to be more open about being vampires, not caring about exposure even though it’s against the law.”  She grimaced.  “I really do try not to be biased against them but the things they do irritate me a lot.  It’s just not our family’s way to do what they do.”  She sighed and began to put away her makeup.  “I’m afraid of what will happen if we don’t settle this fighting.”

            “We’ll put them into place,” Lest snorted, looking at the ceiling.  Myn and Harry shared a rolling of eyes.  Lest turned his eyes to them, glaring.  “I saw that.”  They both just smiled at him, causing Lest to growl.  “You two are going to make my life hell.”

            “We don’t already?” Harry asked in a mock-shocked voice.  He shared a defeated look with Myn.  “We’ve failed in our mission to make him miserable.”  Lest picked up a pillow and threw it at Harry, who laughed and caught it.

            “Now, now Lest,” Myn said amusedly as she stood up and walked to her wardrobe.  “That’s no way to treat your soon to be mate.”

            Lest caught the pillow as Harry threw it back to him and shot a wry look to his sister.  “You would do the same thing if you had him for a mate.”  Lest threw the pillow back at Harry, managing to catch him in the face.

            Harry stuck out his tongue at Lest before a question popped into his head.  “Hey, Myn,” he asked curiously as he feinted a throw at Lest, “why don’t you have a mate?”  Lest put down his arms that he had lifted to shield his face and Harry threw the pillow, smacking him straight in the face, causing the teenager to yelp.

            “Because I don’t want one,” Myn responded idly.  “They’re too much work and I like being a free girl.”

            “Let’s not forget the fact that no one sane would want to be her mate,” Lest muttered as he threw the pillow back at Harry, who used another pillow to whack it back. The pillow hit Lest straight on and he spluttered.  The vampire picked up the pillow, obviously intending to throw it back but two pillows that were lying innocently on the floor shot up and hit him consecutively in the face, causing him to drop the other pillow, which flew up and began to pummel him with the other two.  Harry laughed while Lest tried to fight off the onslaught of the pillows.

            “Alright, alright!” Lest shouted after a minute of attempting to fend off the pillows.  “I give up! I’m sorry, Myn! Mercy!”  Harry kept laughing, even after the pillows dropped and the vampire glowered at him.

            “Some friend you are,” Lest muttered, getting off the bed and brushing himself off.  “Don’t even protect me from pillows, honestly…”

            “Aww,” Harry teased from the ground, in between laughs. “Did the vampy wampy get bwuised?  Does the big bad vampire need help from a kid?” Lest snarled and lunged for him but he evaded him and hid behind a smiling Myn…

            …who moved from in between him and Lest.

            “Sorry Qye-doll,” Myn said cheerfully, as Harry tried to hide from the annoyed vampire.  “I need to change so off you go.”

            Harry stuck out his tongue but eeped when Lest lunged for him again.  He grinned at Myn, then shot out of her room and ran for the library, Lest running after him and shouting death threats.


	19. The First Meeting

            ‘Okay,’ Harry thought to himself as he sipped some cider Cere gave him and stood in a corner of the room.  ‘How in the world do you start a conversation with a vampire without getting your neck bitten?’

            The guests had begun to arrive a few hours ago and now the hall was filled with guests, all – Harry winced – who were most likely vampires.  Lest and Myn had stuck by him in the beginning, introducing him to some acquaintances of theirs from the other families but Myn left when she caught sight of some babies and Cere had dragged Lest away to talk to him about something.  Lest seemed very reluctant to leave him alone but Harry had reassured that he would be okay for ten minutes.

            Now he wished he had fought against Cere taking Lest away.

            Sighing, he took another sip of his cider and looked around the hall aimlessly.  Tables covered in white tablecloth were laden with many different kinds of food.  Even though Lest had told him so long ago that his kind of vampire rarely drank human blood, some of the bowls held a red liquid that Harry was uncomfortably sure _wasn’t_ punch.

            ‘At least they’re not showing the source or drinking straight from it,’ Harry thought wryly.  He sighed and looked around again.  He had meet the people from the Taine and Hastai families and even thought they were very nice, they eyed him with way too much interest for his liking.  So he managed to convince Lest to mingle with others.

            That had been just before Cere had cornered Lest so he never had a chance to meet any others.  Oh, he could walk up and introduce himself, he supposed, but…

            …well, it wouldn’t hurt to have Myn or Lest around, would it?

            He sighed and raised a hand to rub his temple.  He wished there was at least one other human besides him in this room.

            “You’re not a vampire, are you?” a drawling voice asked behind him, causing him to jump and almost drop his drink.  He whirled around to find a boy around his age looking at him with an expectant look in his eyes and a smirk on his face.

            Harry was oddly remained of his and Lest’s first meeting.

            “I’m sorry, what?” Harry asked politely, slowing down his rapid heartbeat while studying the boy surreptitiously.  White-blond hair was gelled back in a way that made the boy’s face appear more pointed than it actually was.  Pale gray eyes were still looking expectantly at him but now he could see something that looked like arrogance and confidence in them.  He was confused to see the boy in what appeared to be black robes but he brushed it off as a style that upper-class people used, since the boy was obviously one of those, but he never saw one of them wear something like _that_.  He was irritated to see that the boy was taller than him by a good two inches.  ‘Why is _everyone_ taller than me?’ he thought irritably, still staring at the other boy.  There was something different about him…

            “I asked if you were a vampire,” the boy drawled out.  “You don’t look like any vampire I’ve ever seen before.”

            “Might be because I’m not one,” Harry said sarcastically.  Not only did the boy remind him of Lest but know he was beginning to resemble Dudley as well.

            The boy raised an eyebrow.  “Are you a pureblood then?  Father told me not to talk to anyone who wasn’t a pureblood or vampire,” he said in his cool, drawling voice.

            “Your father dictates your actions then, does he?  What, not old enough to think for yourself?” Harry smirked.

            The pale boy didn’t blush but some pink began to grow in his pale face.  He drew himself up higher and said stiffly, “I can think for myself, thank you, but my father’s advice is usually good enough to take.”  The gray eyes studied for him a moment and then some contempt crept into them.  “You’re a Muggle, aren’t you?” he asked in a disdainful voice.

            ‘What the hell is a Muggle?’ Harry wondered but aloud he said, “Talk to the voices in your head often, do you?”

            The boy smirked.  “You are.” He shook his head.  “I have no idea why Father wants me to go into a family where _Muggles_ are tolerated.  No power is worth that kind of acquaintance.”

            “Well, no one’s forcing you to speak to me, are they now?” Harry said scathingly.  “Go bugger off.”  Then he turned and resumed watching the guests while sipping his cider.  ‘What a prat,’ Harry thought in an annoyance.

            The boy didn’t go away however.  He instead eyed Harry curiously and said, “I’ve never met a Muggle before.  Father refuses to mingle with something so low.”  When Harry didn’t reply, he asked, “What are you doing at a party meant for vampires anyway?  Are you the main course or something?”

            Harry looked at in irritation.  “Not that I’m aware of,” he muttered.  He took another sip, looking over the rim of the cup to study the other boy.  “I’m a friend of the family,” he finally said after looking over the boy.  “What’s your excuse?”

            The boy raised one of his eyebrows.  “What makes you think I need an excuse?” he asked smugly.

            “You’re not a vampire,” Harry stated bluntly.  “You’re human.  And since Lest has never told me about another human friend, I’m just wondering what you’re doing here.” He smirked.  “Are you a party-crasher?”

            The pale boy looked at him indignantly and said sharply, “I was invited, thank you very much.  No Malfoy would dare do something as undignified as ‘crashing’ a party!”

            “Right,” Harry replied amusedly.  The name ‘Malfoy’ tickled something in his mind and he pondered about it while the boy fumed.  Then it popped up.  Blinking, he looked at the boy in curiosity.  “Hang on,” he asked. “Are you the Malfoy heir?”

            The boy’s gray eyes blinked, the indignation fading away.  He looked at Harry oddly.  “Yes,” he said slowly. “How come you know me?”

            Harry smirked.  “I was wrong,” he snickered.  “Lest _has_ told me about you.”

            For seem reason the boy grimaced and slumped slightly.  “Oh, bloody great,” he muttered under his breath, obviously not intending for Harry to hear.  Harry tilted his head, looking curiously at the boy.  The pale boy sighed and looked at him with gray eyes that seemed resigned, fearful and slightly angry.  “Well?” the boy asked irritably. “What’s he said about me?”

            Harry raised an eyebrow.  “Nothing much,” he said nonchalantly, sipping his cider and looking calmly at the boy.  “Just that you’re an arrogant little brat who he would rather die than be stuck with for the rest of his life.”

            He jumped when the other boy punched the air in joy.  The pale boy grinned victoriously and Harry blinked in confusion.

            “Sorry,” the boy said, still grinning widely.  “You just have no idea how relieved I am to hear about how much the Opacre heir doesn’t like me.”  Harry eyed him.

            “Let me guess,” he said, his lips twitching.  “Lest either annoyed you a hell of a lot or you just don’t want to be stuck with someone for the rest of your life before your hormones have struck.”

             “Both actually,” the boy laughed.  “I pity the poor soul that gets stuck with that jerk for the rest of their life.”

            Harry’s amusement faded.  “He’s not that bad actually,” he said mildly, any friendliness towards the boy gone.  “He’s quite…” He paused for a moment.  “Well, I wouldn’t say nice but he’s not too bad to be with once you’ve gotten used to how big an idiot he can be.”

            The other boy shrugged.  “Maybe we got off on a bad start,” he said.  “I just know that I really don’t want to be stuck with him for the rest of my life.”

            “You won’t,” Harry said, sipping his cider.  “Trust me on that.”  The boy looked curiously at him.

            “Say,” the boy said slowly. “How come you seem to know Opacre so well?”

            “He’s my best friend,” Harry replied easily. “I’ve known him since I was five, I think I should know something about him.”

            The boy nodded, looking at him thoughtfully.  Harry returned the look with a raised eyebrow.  The boy just raised an eyebrow back.  ‘Damn it,’ Harry thought, his lips twitching, ‘he does the look better than I do.’

            “I’ve had years of practice,” the boy said smugly.  Harry jumped and looked shocked at the boy.  ‘What the hell?!’ he thought frantically.  The boy’s lips twitched.  “I’m not a vampire,” he said amusedly, causing Harry to blush slightly, “But I can read people pretty well.  And your eyes were just pouring out envy after I raised my eyebrow.”

            “Damn, I thought I was pretty good at hiding things,” he muttered, forcing his blush away.  The boy snickered.

            “It’s alright,” he said, still snickering slightly.  “I’ve also had years of practice with that.”

            “Yeah?  Well so have I so…” Harry stuck out his tongue.  He blushed bright red however when the Malfoy heir looked at him, clearly startled by the action.  ‘Wonderful going, Potter,’ he thought to himself, still blushing.  ‘Act like a four-year-old why don’t you…’ Desperately, he looked for a change of subject because the boy was biting his lip, obviously trying not to laugh hysterically at him.

            He found it.  “Say,” he asked quickly, still blushing, “I never got your first name.  May I ask what is it?”

            The boy coughed a few times, obviously trying not to laugh and grinned.  “Sorry,” he said _way_ too cheerfully, causing Harry to glower at him with his blushes.  The boy coughed again and held out his hand.  “Sorry, let me introduce myself properly.  The name’s Draco Malfoy.”

            Harry grasped the hand and smiled at him.  “Nice to meet you,” he said, his eyes showing how grateful he was for the allowance of dignity.  The gray eyes danced with laughter but said it was all right.  “My name’s - ”

            “Qye,” a voice said behind him, interrupting.  “Myn’s looking for you.”

            Harry dropped Draco’s hand, turning around to smile at Lest.  His smile turned into a confused look when he saw that Lest was glaring at Draco.  He glanced at Draco and blinked, seeing the pale boy frowning at the vampire, the gray eyes obviously not pleased with the interruption.  Harry blinked, looking between the two.  ‘Okay,’ he thought, puzzled. ‘What did I miss?’

            Lest broke eye contact first, dark blue eyes meeting Harry’s own.  “She was holding paints in one hand and had some friends – who are much, much worse – around her,” Lest said, grinning slightly.  Harry’s confusion was quickly forgotten as terror overtook him.

            “Oh,” he said faintly.  “Thanks, Lest.”  He put his cider down quickly and was about to run to the library.  But he paused and flashed a quick smile at Draco, who returned it with a grin.  “I’ll see you around, Draco,” he said.  Then he ran quickly to the library.

            He didn’t hear the hiss that Lest gave to Draco and didn’t see Draco reply in a drawling voice.  He didn’t see Lest’s blue eyes glare darkly at Draco, filled with jealousy, and he didn’t see Draco’s gray eyes look arrogantly at Lest, filled with challenge.  He didn’t see Lest stalk away in anger or see Draco smirk at the vampire’s retreating back.

            He would see that some other day.


	20. The Blood Commitment

            Harry was still hiding in the library when Lest found him.

            “So Myn hasn’t found you yet, has she?” Lest asked amusedly as he closed the door behind him.  Harry scowled at from the armchair he was sitting in, next to the roaring fireplace.

            “Why are you in here?” he muttered, closing the book he was reading and marking the place he left off.  “Come to drag me to the vampire infested party or to Myn’s mad group?”  The green eyes looked up and a twinkling gleam entered them.  “Or are you running from said group?” the ten-year-old asked amusedly.

            Lest scowled at him, settling down in the armchair across from him.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he sniffed, picking up a book on the table and idly flipping through it.  Pausing, he looked up at Harry through his fringe and said seriously, “I was running.”

            He smiled when Harry laughed and closed the book, tossing it back onto the table.  He took this time to study Harry closer.  ‘Damn,’ he thought regretfully, ‘Myn really made him look good.  That little…I swear to Hélène, when she falls in love I’m going to make her regret doing this to me.’  He gave a mental sigh and rubbed his eyes, trying to not to see his friend.  When Harry came out of the bathroom, the effect was…well…shocking. ‘Opacre, you’re a pervert,’ he thought in disgust.  ‘He trusts you and you’re thinking horrible thoughts, not to mention that you’re about to ruin his life soon.’

            “Lest, are you going to be this way all night?” Harry’s exasperated voice asked him.  Blinking, he looked up and looked at the younger boy in confusion.

            “What do you mean?” he asked bemusedly.

            Harry rolled his eyes and swung a leg up and on the armrest.  “I just asked you the same question three times and you were still near Uranus,” the green-eyed boy said amusedly.  The amusement faded and Harry looked at him seriously.  “Is there something wrong Lest?”

            ‘Besides the fact that I’m in love with you and am about to ruin your entire life?  No, nothing at all.’  He sighed and looked at Harry, “I’m fine.”

            Harry didn’t buy it.  He frowned and his eyes narrowed.  “Lest…” he growled.  “What the hell is going on?”

            Lest rolled his eyes and slouched in the armchair.  He turned his eyes to the blazing fire but he could still feel Harry’s penetrating gaze.  “Are you sure you want to do this, Harry?” he asked quietly, using Harry’s real name in hope it might bring the seriousness of the situation to him.  It didn’t.

            “Burn me, Lest, is this why you’ve been acting weird?” Harry snarled.  Lest looked at him, startled.  Harry glared at him and Lest dropped his eyes.  He heard the younger boy growl under his breath then sigh.  “Lest,” he said slowly, as if speaking to someone younger rather than older than him, “I _told_ you I want to do this.  I _told_ you that I don’t mind what I’m about to do. I _told_ you to stop worrying about it.  I _told_ you I’m not going to change my mind.  And I’m _not_.”  He went silent then Lest heard him whisper, “Are you?”

            Lest continued to stare into the fire for a few extra minutes.  “I should,” he said softly.  He could feel Harry stiffening in his chair, feel his shocked gaze, feel his hurt.  “I should cancel this entire thing,” he continued, still using his soft voice.  “I should stop before I make the biggest mistake of your life.  I should wipe your memory of me and return you to your relatives, or at least somewhere safer.”  He heard Harry gasp, partly in fear, partly in shock.  “I should do a lot of things.”  He raised his eyes from the burning logs to Harry’s burning eyes.

            The fury and hurt radiated from Harry’s eyes but he met them calmly.  He should do it.  It would be best for him.  Harry couldn’t possibly understand what he was going to do.  He opened his mouth, ready to tell Harry to stay there, to wait while he canceled all it all.  He would come back with Myn, force his sister to help him erase his friend’s – his best friend’s – memory.  He would find a better place for him.  He would.

            He didn’t.

            Instead, he closed his mouth and stared at his hands.  He could feel Harry’s worried and fearful gaze.  He swallowed and said thickly, “I should Harry, but I’m not going to.  I…I can’t do it.”  He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands.

            ‘You’re such a weakling, Opacre,’ he thought miserably, staring down at the ground.  ‘You’re going to destroy his life.  Damn you…damn me…’

            Small arms wrapped around him and he jerked his head up.  Harry’s calm green gaze met his shocked one.  He opened his mouth but Harry shook his head, and hugged him closer.

            “It’ll be okay, Lest,” Harry said in a reassuring voice.  “You’ll see.  A couple of years from now, we’ll be laughing at how stupid you’re being.  It’s okay.”  Lest closed his eyes in defeat and laid his forehead on the younger boy’s shoulder.  He tentatively wrapped his arms around Harry and hugged the smaller boy gently.

            ‘What the hell am I doing?’ Lest thought to himself, miserably holding onto his friend.  It was then that he realized that Harry’s hug was one of a younger sibling to an older one.  It was then he realized exactly how young Harry was.  ‘Oh God, what am I doing?’  He didn’t stop holding Harry though.

            Which is how Myn found them.

            He didn’t know how long she was standing there.  He only sensed her after a few minutes of holding Harry.  He opened his eyes quickly and turned his head to the door of the library.  She was smiling gently at him, a look meant for comforting.  Lest just looked at her miserably.

            “It’s time,” she said quietly.  Harry jumped, having not noticed Myn there.  The younger boy blushed at being found in such an intimate gesture and quickly detangled himself from Lest.  Lest didn’t move much, having just felt his stomach plummet at his sister’s words.

            “Is it already?” Harry said, blushing only slightly and straightening his clothes.  Myn nodded and the ten-year-old nodded.  “Alright then, let’s get this done with.”  The black-haired boy turned to Lest, who hadn’t moved from the armchair.  His green eyes rolled and the younger boy grabbed his wrist, tugging him to his feet.  “Come on Lest, let’s finish this so I can laugh at you for being such a worrywart.”

            Lest smiled weakly and followed Harry, tugging his hand out the younger boy’s grasp.  As he passed Myn, she murmured in their tongue, “All will be well, little brother.  Have a little faith.”  He just threw her a dirty look.

            The walk from the library to the hall where the ceremony would take place was a short one but every step Lest took felt like years and increased the leaden feeling in his stomach.  By the time they were with the rest of the guests, Lest was pale and shaking.  He glanced at Harry and wasn’t surprised to see him pale too.  But he, Lest noticed enviously, wasn’t shaking.

            ‘Why is he so calm?’ Lest thought, unable to conjure anything more than extremely small annoyance.  He walked up to stand next to his father on the platform between the staircases.  The piano had been moved to the living room and now all there was on the platform was a podium with a book and a simple steel dagger.

            All the guests crowded around the platform and he saw that Harry was standing next to his mother and Myn, in front of the platform.  His mother smiled warmly at him and he looked back at her with warm eyes, unable to muster up a smile.  Myn had told her about his feelings – ‘I swear, she’s going to pay when she falls in love,’ he thought viciously – and she had pulled him from Harry to attempt to reassure him.  It didn’t help much.

            Not only did the attempt not work, his time away from Harry had allowed the Malfoy brat to meet with him.  A flash of jealousy coursed through him as his father thanked the guests for coming to the ceremony.  The pleasantries were taken care off while he fumed and fretted silently.  It was all too soon when his father turned to him.

            “Lestat Opacre- ” - ‘I _hate_ that name’ – “Have you chosen your Carus Noctivagus?”

            As tradition required, Lest responded with a dutiful, “I have, Pater Opacre.”

            His father nodded and walked behind the podium.  Lest watched as his father opened the book to the proper page and he took the dagger as it was handed to him.  He turned around, saw the gazes of all the guests – the contemptuous looks of the Dazains, the curious looks of the Jeanyels, the accepting looks of the Taines, the encouraging looks of the Lativians – and knew he was supposed to, as tradition required, call out the full name of his mate.

            ‘Tradition can go to hell,’ he though fiercely as he glanced momentarily at the Dazains.

            “Qye, can you come up here?” he asked quietly.

            The eyes of all the assembled vampires familiar with the tradition of the ceremony widened.  The eyes of all the guests grew wider when they saw that the mate was to be a ten-year-old boy.  He saw the Dazains eye the boy with contempt and sneers but what made him angrier were some of the considering looks.  ‘He’s mine,’ he thought angrily, staring hard at the Dazain group.  ‘Keep your bloody damn hands _off_!’  He glanced momentarily at the Malfoy heir and repeated his statements harder, even though there was just shock instead of consideration in those gray eyes of his.

            He turned his attention back to Harry, who was standing nervously next to him.  ‘I should get him out of here,’ he thought but what he did instead was smile reassuringly at him.  Harry smiled weakly back but his green eyes were determined.

            He looked down into those green eyes, sending as much reassurance and gratitude and – god help him, ‘please don’t let him know what it is’ – love with his own.  Harry smiled at him, still looking nervous and pale but no so much as before.  All the while, his father spoke the rites softly.  ‘My father,’ Lest suddenly thought, mentally staggering from a new thought.  ‘God, what does _he_ think?’  He risked a fearful glance at his father.

            And blinked.

            His father was _smiling_.  Not just the slight smile he rarely had but a full, soft smile.  Lest could feel the pride and – ‘Holy Hélène’ – contentment radiate from that smile.  Lest felt a moment of pleasure, pleased he could please his father but why?  ‘Now isn’t the time,’ he thought firmly to himself as he turned his gaze back to Harry.

            “Now, Lestat,” his father said abruptly and he jumped slightly, confused.  Then he realized the rites were done and now only…

            …oh.

            Swallowing, he grasped Harry’s hand unsteadily.  The black-haired boy looked at him in uncertainty.  He swallowed again and whispered so that only Harry could hear, “I have to cut your wrist.”  The green eyes widened in horror and hand he held jerked.  He quickly explained before Harry could panic.  “It’ll heal quickly but I need to cut it so I can take some blood.”  He licked his lips then said quietly, “You have drink from mine too.”  The green eyes turned queasy.

            Murmurs came from the guests and he shot them a cold look, silencing them quickly before turning back to Harry.  The boy was looking at his wrist, a blank look on his face but he could feel the turmoil from the boy.

            “You can still get out, Harry,” he said quietly.  “You can walk away and it’ll be okay.  It’s been done before.”  The boy continued to stare at his wrist and Lest was about to tell his father to cancel the rites when the green eyes raised and met his, still queasy but determined as well.

            “Do it, Lest,” Harry whispered, green eyes growing in determination.  “I’m not a coward.”

            Lest closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  When he opened his eyes, Harry was still staring at him with his determined eyes.  Nodding, he dropped his gaze and gently made a slit in the wrist.  Harry hissed slightly and he quickly took the dagger away, making the slit very small.  Even so, the blood sprang forward, little red drops beginning to fall on the gray platform.

            He quickly slit his own wrist and pushed it to Harry, who hesitantly took it with his other hand while Lest picked up his bleeding wrist.  They looked at each other.  They raised the bleeding wrists to their mouths.

            They drank.

            Lest’s eyes widened, hardly noticing that Harry’s widened as well.  The surge of sheer power from Harry’s blood…it was so much…too much…overwhelming… _delicious_.

            Lest winced slightly as he felt Harry pull for his own blood and he wondered if Harry winced when he pulled.  He closed his eyes, pulling more of his friend’s – his mate’s – blood and he could see the silver aura that wasn’t visible to the naked eye.  He saw it pulse brightly around Harry and he could see his own pitch-black aura reaching towards it.  He saw the silver gently take a hold of the black and saw the black surge around it.  He saw the black and silver mixing but still managing to remain separate.  He saw the dark aura seeming to shadow the light aura and the silver highlighting the black.

            The swirl of black and silver poured from within the blood and quickly healed the wounds on their wrists.  Lest lifted his mouth from Harry’s wrist as soon as he made sure the wound was entirely healed.  There wasn’t even a scar on the younger boy’s wrist.  Harry did the same and he knew there would be no scar on his own.

            He could still taste the blood of Harry on his lips.  He knew there was still one part of the ceremony left, the easiest.  Quickly, he bent his head and captured his friend’s lips in a possessive and loving kiss.

            As he felt Harry freeze in shock before settling in submissive way, as he tasted his own coppery blood on Harry’s lips, as he finished the ceremony with no way of escape for Harry anymore, only one thought ran through his mind.

            ‘What have I done?’


	21. Goodbye Qye

            “Now,” Harry said quietly, smiling slightly, “was it as bad as you thought it would be?”

            The ceremony had ended an hour ago and Lest was dropping him off in his cupboard.  Myn had complained, wanting Harry to stay the entire week but Lest quickly overrode it, saying he had made the memory alteration last only for a day.  So now the older boy was dropping Harry off after an _extremely_ stressful evening.

            “It could have been worse, I suppose,” Lest said grudgingly, leaning against the doorframe of Harry’s cupboard.  Harry was a bit sad that Lest couldn’t stay longer, owing to the fact that he had to fill out some paperwork about the commitment.  He wasn’t too sad though.  ‘How can I be?’ he thought, a bit giddily.  ‘Lest is never going to leave me for long.  And I’m actually part of their family.’

            “You worry so much,” he grinned at the smiling vampire.  “I told you we would laugh at how stupid you were being in the library.”  He thought he saw something like sorrow go through Lest’s eyes but it went by too quickly.  He quickly forgot about it when the vampire stuck out his tongue at him.

            “I’ll remember to laugh at you next time you worry over something,” Lest said crossly but his blue eyes danced with laughter.  Harry stuck out his tongue, and then yawned.  The vampire chuckled.  “And it’s definitely past your bedtime.  Go to bed, Qye.”

            “Suppose I should,” Harry said tiredly, rubbing his eyes.  He looked up thoughtfully at the vampire for a moment then stood up on his tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

            Lest froze.  Harry blushed.

            “Um…good night, Lest.  I’ll see you tomorrow,” Harry mumbled, and then he quickly closed the cupboard door on the older boy’s shocked face.

            As he settled into blankets, Harry fell asleep with a content smile and felt like his world couldn’t possibly get better.

                                                                                   -------

            “It’s begun,” Hades Opacre said softly to his family, a week after the Blood Commitment.  Cere, Myn and Lest all looked up from the board game they were playing to see the head of the Opacres looking very bitter and sad in the doorway.

            Lest furrowed his brow and shared a confused look with his sister.  But his mother spoke in her gentle voice, sorrow filling it. “War?”  The siblings jerked and stared at their mother in shock and horror before turning to look at their father.

            Hades sighed and nodded, walking towards his family and sitting down in his black armchair.  “The Dazains have rebelled, along with several other families,” he said softly to his horrified children.  “It’s spreading everywhere.  All the families are taking sides, even though I’ve tried to stop it.  It’s the rebels, with the Dazains leading, going against everyone else who refuses to join them.  What’s more, those who refuse to join the rebels have declared themselves on the ‘Opacre’ side, even though I tried to prevent it.  And those who try to remain neutral are being attacked by both sides.”  He closed his eyes.  “Europe is split.”

            “What caused _this_?” Myn asked, her voice cracking, still looking horrified by the fact that the war that had been brewing finally erupted.

            Hades didn’t say anything and Ceres placed a comforting hand in his.  He grasped his wife’s hand tightly.           

            “It was my Blood Commitment, wasn’t it?” Lest said dully, staring down at the forgotten game board.  Myn gasped but he ignored it and looked up at his parents.

            Hades looked at his son.  “They’re using that as the reason, yes,” he admitted.  “You know how some families don’t like the same-sex pairings or the youth pairings.”  He looked bitter.  “That’s not the real reason though, for the Dazains, but it’s appealing to so many other families so they’re backing the Dazains up.  If it was just them, we could take some families and quickly crush it but with so many families backing them up…” He sighed.

            Lest turned his face away from his father, staring hard at the flames in the fireplace and feeling anger grow in him.  “They just want to take over as head family of Europe,” he said tightly.  “They’re using Qye and me as reasons but…” Growling, the vampire boy stood up and hurled the game board into the fireplace.  “Damn them,” he hissed, staring murderously at the burning wood.

            “Lest,” Myn reprimanded slightly.  Lest didn’t acknowledge her, still staring angrily at the flames.  She sighed and turned back to her father.  “What are we going to do?”

            The Opacre head sighed and looked at his eldest child.  “I don’t know what we’ll do about this war,” he said quietly.  “But all of you are going to a safe house in America.”

            Lest whirled around and Myn’s eyes widened in shock.  Cere looked at her husband calmly but Lest noticed a slight tightening to her eyes and lips.

            Hades raised a hand before they could say anything.  “It’s the only safe place,” he said calmly.  “As I am head of the Opacres, they’ll come after us to crush the leaders.  You’ll be safer at the Taines.”

            “You know that’s not true,” Lest snarled at his father.  His sister and mother shot him warning looks but he ignored them, looking heatedly at his father.  “You know they’ll send assassins to America as much as they will here and you know they’ll have spies over there.  The Dazains are bastards but they’re not stupid.”

            “I know that,” Hades said quietly.

            Lest continued on even though his father wasn’t fighting back.  “Besides,” he said angrily, “Qye’s here and the Dazains were at the ceremony.  They know who he is and I’ll be damned before I leave him on his own.”

            Hades looked into the flickering flames.  “They won’t know him by face,” he said quietly.  “I blocked your Carus’ face from all the people at the ceremony, Lest.  I already knew that the Dazains were going to start their war.  I thought it best they didn’t know who your Qye was.  However,” he said as he turned his eyes away from the flames and looked calmly at his son, “they’ll know his face if you lead them to his home or if you bring him to our home.”

            Lest opened his mouth but couldn’t think of anything to reply to that.  He closed his mouth as he tried to find an answer but he couldn’t.  He raised his eyes to look distraughtly at his father.  “I just can’t abandon him,” he said, his worry creeping into his voice.  “He’ll wonder why I haven’t gone and he’ll try to find me.”

            “I can promise security only once, Lest,” his father said quietly.  Lest blinked.  His father’s eyes…they were full of pity and sorrow and trying to convey something.

            “I can tell Qye to wait,” he said slowly, still searching his father’s eyes in attempt to figure what he was trying to say.  “But…the war isn’t going into end in months, will it?”  Hades shook his head.  Lest’s mouth turned dry and he said hoarsely, “Years?”  Hades dropped his eyes.

            Lest’s feet fell from beneath him and he collapsed on the floor, staring blankly.  He felt his sister grasp his hand but he couldn’t move.  ‘Years…he won’t wait years…he’ll try and find me…he’ll want to help…but he’ll just get killed…’

            “I can lend you my jewel,” his father suddenly said softly.  Lest looked up, dazed at his father.  He blinked, confused and then it hit him.

            He stared at his father.  The pity and sorrow grew in those normally cool eyes.  He felt his mother and sister’s confused gazes but he just continued to look at his father.

            “Is that the only way?” he asked quietly, hoping his father would say no.  His hope faded when his father nodded.

            “Unless you know of a better way,” his father said softly.  Lest looked down at the ground, feeling cold.  “I’m sorry, Lest.”

            “Lest,” he heard his sister say sharply, “what are you going to do?”  He felt his mother’s worried look but he just steeled himself.  Unsteadily, he stood up and stumbled to his father.

            “Give it before I lose my nerve,” he mumbled, holding out his hand.  His father quickly dropped his amethyst in his hand and he ran out of the room before his sister or mother could stop him.

            “Lest!” he heard Myn cry out as he ran to his room.  “Father! What’s he doing?!”

            He was already dropping the opal into the palm of his hand when Myn slammed the door of his room open.  The room was already spinning in color when she lunged for him, crying, shouting, “LEST! WAIT!”

                                                                                                                       -------

            Since he wasn’t supposed to come that night, Harry was already asleep in his cot.  Lest watched him with a dull look in his eyes, gently stroking his hair, watching him shift in his sleep, a content smile on his face.

            ‘I’m sorry, Qye,’ he thought sadly.  ‘I should have never brought you into all of this.  I should have done so many things and now you have to pay for my mistakes.  I promise you, I’ll make it up to you once this is all I done.  I’ll fix it all…’

            A tear landed on the young boy’s cheek and he shifted slightly again.  Lest blinked back the rest of the tears back, promising to release them later.  Right now, he had to be strong for his friend…for his mate…for Harry.

            Taking a shaky breath, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his father’s jewel.  He grasped it tightly then plunged ahead.

            He searched for anything directly connected to him in anyway.  Memories of Myn…his mother…his father…memories of his gifts…memories of their talks in the night…memories of the visits…memories of him…he locked it all away.

            He took another deep breath.  He was tired, the blocking already taking half an hour.  But there were five years to block and he still wasn’t done.  He searched for indirect connections.  He blocked ideas Harry had come upon from their talks…blocked situations that occurred because of something he had done…blocked memories of deep sarcasm and fear for him.  And then, as an after thought and gift, he blocked memories of the abuse.  Maybe…yes, one last gift he could give.

            He slumped against the door of the cupboard, drained.  Harry slept unconcernedly, without knowledge that things had been blocked from his life.  He looked at the young boy, tired.  Gods only knew what he would be like after he woke up.  So much blocking…in the end, he had begun to fumble so maybe other things had begun to be made hazy or were accidentally blocked.  He hoped nothing important was gone.

            He continued to look at the sleeping boy for a few moments.  He moved a little closer and saw that he still had his necklace on.  He gently removed it and put it in the compartment.  He had made sure Harry wouldn’t remember that so all the things he had given the boy could be kept safely in there.  He looked at the boy again and then, sighing, he dropped a gentle kiss on his forehead.

            “I’ll come back, Qye,” he whispered, staring down lovingly at the boy.  “I promise, I’ll come back.  And I’ll do my best to make this up to you.”

            He sighed and stood up, opening the door.  He looked at Harry one last time, burning his face into his mind before reluctantly closing the door.  Then he looked upwards and smiled grimly.  Silently walking up the stairs, he smiled, knowing one good thing would come out of tonight.  He opened the door of Harry’s cousin's room and sneered at the sleeping blob.  Using his telekinesis, with help from the jewel, he lifted the snoring figure and cheerfully walked to the blob’s parent’s room…

            …where he unceremoniously flung him onto their bed.

            He just smiled as Harry’s uncle and aunt woke up suddenly and Dudley shouted.  The family wrestled around, shouting and wondering what the hell had happened.  He just continued to smile, folding his arms.

            Petunia was the first to notice him.  Shrieking “Vernon! Oh my goodness, Vernon!” she grabbed the sheets and pulled them up to her flat chest.  Lest merely sneered and looked contemptuously at her.  Her husband whirled his small dark eyes to him and turned red.

            “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!” he bellowed, attempting to get out of bed.  Lest was glad he had put up a sound shield around the room and just watched as Vernon got out of bed…

            …only to be flung against a wall with a short blast of telekinesis.  The whale-cousin shouted in fear and clung to his terrified mother.  Vernon turned even redder and opened his mouth to obviously yell at him.

            The blocking and usage of so much telepathy made him very tired so his temper was on a short lease.  Another blast of telekinesis squeezed Harry’s uncle’s throat to the point where he was choking.  He made sure there was enough air getting through for the man to live and stay conscious.

            “I’m not in the best of moods tonight so I’m going to keep this short and definitely not sweet,” he said coldly, still smiling his frigid smile.  He glanced to the cousin and aunt and a flare of power later, they were against the wall like the head of the Dursley family.  He walked towards them and smiled, revealing his white teeth…

            …and baring his fangs to them.

            The cousin opened his mouth to scream and Lest squeezed his throat as well, barely stopping himself from killing the fat boy.  The aunt just gaped at him.  The uncle stared furiously at him but he could see the sheer terror in his eyes.

            He smiled more.

            “Let’s skip the ‘vampires don’t exist’ part, shall we?” he said in a soft, cold voice.  “I’m very pissed off tonight and I want to go home.  But you lot are in my way.  I have to do something so you’ll leave my dear Harry alone, because I honestly don’t appreciate the ‘hugs and kisses’ you’re giving him.”

            He saw the aunt and uncle’s eyes grow in anger and he felt his own.  Snarling, he sent another blast of telekinesis throughout the room, shattering all the fragile objects and wardrobes.

            Leaning closer, he stared them all in the eye hatefully, his lips pulled back to fully show his fangs.  The anger fled from the aunt and uncle’s eyes, replaced by sheer terror and the cousin whimpered, a dripping sounding which said that he had soiled himself.

            He leaned closer and said coldly, “Never lay another hand on him again.  Ever.  You’re going to make sure he’s well taken care of and fit when I come back – and I _will_ come back – and if I even find out you’ve given so much as an accidental bruise, I’ll tear out your innards to make pasta, crush your heart for meat and use that fat gunk you call blood as sauce.  And I’ll make sure you’re all still alive when I’m sinking my fangs into that Dursley meal.  I’ll make you beg for Hell, you miserable, pathetic pile of scum shit.”

            The aunt was sobbing hysterically, the cousin had soiled himself again and the uncle… Lest smiled.  Harry would be safe.

            Leaning back, he dropped the family.  The aunt and cousin immediately latched onto the uncle, the entire family staring in fear at him.  He smiled and altered their minds.

            They wouldn’t remember him doing this.  They wouldn’t remember seeing him in their room, remembering seeing a real life vampire.  But every time they thought about hurting his Harry, they would remember his promise and their fear but forget it after the urge passed.

            Putting them to sleep, he walked out of the room and breathed deeply.  He wearily rubbed his eyes and stumbled down the stairs.  He was beyond exhausted and he knew he would pay for it later but…

            Before he exited the front door, he looked at the cupboard under the stairs, thinking about its occupant.  He smiled and knew it was all worth it.

            As he touched the opal in his pocket, he thought, ‘I promise I’ll come back.  I’ll make it up to you.  Goodbye, Qye…’

                                                                                   -----

            In the cupboard, Harry Potter slept without dreams, completely forgetting about his first friend and what they had.  In the back of his mind, however, something was born from the blocked memories.  Something that would only truly be fully formed and take shape and body in five years…by the name of Qye Opacre.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats, you finished! Thank you all for reading, commenting and dropping a kudos on this piece that I wrote so long ago. It really surprised me that people were willing to give this a chance and I'm glad it brought enjoyment.
> 
> Onto "Qye" if you'd like more about these poor boys. ^^;


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